News - Page 2 of 21

In April 2020, King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Public Health Officer Jeffrey Duchin responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with an unprecedented act. They moved more than 700 people out of crowded congregate emergency shelters and into hotel rooms. By November 2020, over 400 more people had also been temporarily sheltered in hotels.

Their decision was part of a regional effort to decrease the numbers of people in the shelter system. The goal was to limit the transmission of the virus and protect vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness. The county, the City of Seattle and provider agencies also lessened crowding by opening new congregate shelters that could provide enough space for social distancing. At all sites, providers received support to meet Public Health guidance for social distancing and to prevent and control infection.

A team of researchers from the University of Washington and the King County Department of Community and Human Services was engaged to study the impacts of this change in programming. The data showed that the strategy did limit the spread of COVID-19 among persons moved to hotel locations compared to those who stayed in congregate settings. The study also found additional positive results for individuals in hotel locations. They experienced:

feeling more stability thanks to having a consistent, private room
improved health and well-being shown through better sleep, hygiene, mental health and overall, by having a clean, private room with a bathroom
reduced interpersonal conflict thanks to having more privacy and lessened anxiety. This resulted in fewer emergency 911 calls from hotel shelters.
more time to think about and take steps towards future goals such as finding permanent housing, a job or more education
more leaving temporary shelter to live in permanent housing, and greater participation in homeless housing services.

Register for Aug. 3 hiring event!

Posted on July 23, 2021August 4, 2021 by Claire Tuohy-Morgan

Calling Night Owls to Join the Fight Against Homelessness!
Reserve your spot at our Aug. 3 virtual hiring event by applying online at https://tinyurl.com/applytodesc

Move In Kits welcome new tenants home

Posted on July 12, 2021July 20, 2021 by Claire Tuohy-Morgan

On Resolution Day, July 15, help welcome a person moving from homelessness into supportive housing. DESC Move In Kits give new residents the essentials to begin their next chapters. Help us equip more kits, as DESC joins in Resolution Day, a 24-hour call to action centering homelessness, from Resolution to End Homelessness.

Hobson Place Tile Wall

Posted on June 29, 2021August 25, 2021 by Claire Tuohy-Morgan

Help Us Provide Keys To Health

Over 10,000 people will walk through The Hobson Clinic’s doors each year. Help us provide a gateway that celebrates DESC’s commitment to the vulnerable population that is experiencing homelessness. Get all of the details, and purchase a tile for our first donor wall!

Burien accepts DESC into AHDP

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Claire Tuohy-Morgan

Architect's rendering of the main corner of a six-story apartment building, mainly brown, but with yellow and blue panels, and a first floor lined with windows. — The main corner of the Burien building as the architect envisions it.

We’re excited to announce that at their June 21 meeting, the Burien City Council voted 6-1 in favor of including DESC Burien, a permanent supportive housing development, into the Burien Affordable Housing Demonstration Program!

The Burien project will be the first DESC housing built outside of the city of Seattle.

The council also amended the measure to require an interlocal agreement (ILA) between Burien and King County (or the Regional Homelessness Authority). The ILA aims to ensure that 30 percent of the people housed in the new building come from Burien. We are happy to participate in this effort, and think that we can help make this happen.

The project will create much-needed stable supportive housing for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. We plan to begin construction early in 2022 on a new apartment building on a site at 801 SW 150th St., Burien, 98166. It will feature 95 studio units of affordable housing with supportive services and indoor/outdoor community spaces for our tenants, single adults who are disabled and formerly homeless. The project reserves 25 units for veterans experiencing homelessness. We look forward to continuing to develop relationships in Burien and to being good neighbors for years to come!

Learn more about the Burien project here.