BREMERTON — The Salvation Army, which has offered a lifeline to the city since the pandemic by converting its Sixth Street building into an all-day homeless shelter, confirmed this week it will not have sufficient funds to keep its low-barrier shelter open during daytime hours in 2026.
Only halfway through winter, the low-barrier, emergency shelter will revert to overnight-only hours starting on Jan. 1, due to a loss of nearly $150,000 monthly in federal funding that was distributed through Kitsap County and the city of Bremerton. The reduction is likely to have ramifications for the city’s unhoused population and is almost certain to push more people onto the streets downtown during the day, exposing them to cold and wet winter conditions.
The Salvation Army Shelter has for years filled a large gap in the county for emergency shelter, providing three meals per day and laying out 94 beds per-night to serve those experiencing homelessness. In 2025, it provided over 26,000 nights of safe shelter for individuals…