UW, community partners launch Doorway Project to help homeless youth

Posted on December 5, 2017

Seattle’s crisis in unsheltered homelessness is evident most days in the University District as too many young people find themselves without shelter, jobs and other support. Thanks to Washington State House Speaker Frank Chopp, committed community partners, passionate students and innovative faculty, UW launched a new effort this past Sunday to get more homeless young people connected to services. Called the Doorway Project, the effort looks to make services accessible for homeless young people who for whatever reason aren’t connected to shelter, food, medical care and case management. The idea is to create pop-up events over the course of this academic year, learn what works and possibly launch a homeless services navigation center in the U District grounded in lessons from the Doorway Project.

The first pop-up event this past Sunday attracted dozens of homeless young people for food, free winter clothing and mapping of the U District from their eyes. In this context, mapping means identifying where they see help and where they see threats. Over the course of four hours, 67 vouchers for free food were used. You can read more about the project here.

Invitation to public meeting about a permitted, managed encampment

Posted on November 9, 2017

As a part of the City of Seattle’s response to the homelessness crisis, a permitted, managed encampment will be established at 3814 4th Ave NE on Seattle City Light property just west of the UW campus. The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) in partnership with Nickelsville will operate and manage the encampment. City officials will join LIHI in sharing information about encampment operations and answering questions at a community meeting on Tuesday, November 28.

Community meeting re: sanctioned encampment at 3814 4^th Ave NE (near Northlake)

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

6:30–8:00 p.m.

UW Fisheries Building – Auditorium 102

1122 NE Boat Street

For more information visit: seattle.gov/homelessness or view the City of Seattle informational page here.

Affordable Housing Partnership

Posted on September 20, 2017

We’re pleased to share news of a joint partnership that will yield additional affordable housing units in the U District. Here’s the story from the UW News office:

September 5, 2017

UW, Seattle Housing Authority plan to build affordable housing in the U District

UW News staff

The University of Washington and the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) have signed a memorandum of understanding for the two organizations to develop affordable housing in the University District.

The goal is to create a minimum of 150 affordable units that will be income restricted to those making 60 percent or less of area median income. Units will be offered first to University faculty and staff who meet income requirements before being made available to the general public under the same income requirements. The project will also include housing and services for homeless young adults, and possibly other services such as childcare.

“At the UW, we’re part of this community, and we see what Seattle’s growth has done to rents and mortgages. This partnership creates the opportunity to provide a new, affordable option to UW employees who could otherwise be priced out of living near where they work. It’s an expansion of our commitment to our employees, but it’s also the right thing to do for them and for the city we all call home,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce.

“This project represents a significant contribution to two of our community’s most urgent needs: affordable housing and housing for homeless youth,” said SHA Executive Director Andrew Lofton. “We are pleased to partner with the University to help make this important project a reality.”

The two organizations will launch an RFP/RFQ process later this year to identify a development partner to construct and potentially manage the building. Contingent on financing, the goal is to have the facility open by 2021. The University already owns the property at 42nd and Roosevelt on which the building would be located.

This project represents the University’s ongoing commitment to support an inclusive and thriving University District and responds to the growing housing affordability crisis in the Seattle region.

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For more information, contact:

Aaron Hoard, UW Regional & Community Relations
206-953-5486
ahoard@uw.edu

Kerry J. Coughlin, Seattle Housing Authority
206-615-3506
kerry.coughlin@seattlehousing.org

Update on Temporary Bryants Building Homeless Shelter

Posted on August 30, 2017August 30, 2017

In April 2017, we shared information about the City of Seattle’s plan to locate a temporary homeless shelter in the Bryants Building adjacent to the University of Washington’s West Campus. The Bryants Building was formerly the University of Washington Police Department station and was transferred from the UW to the City to be turned into a park. That design work is under way and can be found here.

As a result of shelter space loss in other parts of the city, Seattle’s Human Services Department was forced to find alternate space for displaced homeless men needing shelter. Since work on the new park won’t start until fall, Bryants was available for this summer. Intended as temporary emergency shelter for individuals being served by Operation Nightwatch, the Bryants Building shelter became operational on May 10, providing a safe place for single, adult men to stay the night with capacity for just over 70 individuals.

The City is delivering on its commitment to relocate the shelter by the end of August to allow work to begin on the new Portage Bay Park. From the City of Seattle’s recent notice to neighbors:

“August 31, 2017 will mark the last full night of services being provided from this location. Services will be gradually scaled down over the Labor Day weekend, as individuals currently receiving shelter at the Bryant Building begin transitioning to other shelter locations including the new City-funded 24-hour enhanced shelter, Compass at First Presbyterian. The site will permanently close the morning of September 5, 2017.”

For information about some of the ways UW students, staff and faculty are responding to this region’s homelessness crisis, see the Addressing Homelessness webpage.

Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership

Posted on May 22, 2017

University of Washington students serve and lead, in on-and off-campus communities, to expand their boundaries, learn from others, and make a tangible difference in the world. All UW students, undergraduate and graduate, are invited to share how they have worked together to transform their campus and communities, to develop compassionate leadership skills, and to learn from each other.

The Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership showcases how students’ academic journeys have influenced who they are as leaders, organizers and change-makers. Join in and celebrate these diverse and inspiring students!

See all the ways #HuskiesServe and #HuskiesLead on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, from 2-6:30 p.m. in the HUB.

RSVP