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.