SEATTLE—November 30, 2004—Seattle Housing Authority has signed agreements with the City of Seattle's Human Services Department and the Salvation Army to open the doors of the gym at the Yesler Community Center to homeless people on the coldest winter nights. On November 29, the shelter's first night of operation, 36 people slept overnight there.
"I know that many Yesler residents are uneasy about this use in the gym," said Executive Director Tom Tierney, "but I am convinced that the Salvation Army will be able to operate this shelter with little or no negative effect on the neighborhood."
A number of contentious meetings with residents surrounded the choice of Yesler as a shelter site. According to Tierney, residents were unhappy that their initial vote to exclude the shelter did not end the discussion. "As a housing authority with a workable space to offer, I felt that we just had to try to make this work. The meetings we had with residents helped us to understand their concerns and address them in our agreements."
The shelter will be open a maximum of 66 nights between now and the end of March 2005. On nights that it operates, the shelter will be open from 10 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. These hours allow for the gym's regular evening activities to take place without interruption, and provide enough time for shelter users to leave before local children begin waiting for school buses at the adjacent corner.
No food will be served. The shelter will provide a place to sleep out of the cold for up to 75 men and women, and will be staffed by two experienced shelter supervisors from the Salvation Army.
A number of additional security measures will be undertaken to guarantee the safety of Yesler residents, including increased police presence as necessary.
"I am satisfied that our agreement with the City and the Salvation Army will make this a workable solution," concluded Tierney. "I am hopeful that the shelter will operate smoothly through the end of March."