Group plans to build Kent homeless shelter for women, children

Supporters of a 24/7 homeless shelter for women and children are about to kick off design and fundraising plans for a new facility in Kent.

The drive over the last few years to open Kent’s first permanent homeless shelter took a big step on Monday when the City Council’s Economic and Community Development Committee voted 3-0 to approve an emergency housing zoning code amendment that would allow the facility to be built at First Presbyterian Church of Kent, 9425 S. 248th St., just north of Canyon Drive. The zoning change goes to the full council on Feb. 16, when approval is expected.

“I’m extremely overjoyed and excited that we have a new spirit of collaboration with the city and we are moving ahead in a positive direction,” said Pat Gray, executive board chair of Kent Homelessness Partnership Effort (KentHOPE), during an interview after the committee vote.

KentHOPE and Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission have led a drive to open a year-round overnight homeless shelter in the city. The group came up with four previous downtown sites over the last few years, but all were opposed by the nearby business community because of concerns with a shelter causing customers to stay out of the area.

The new facility would cost an estimated $2 million and be about 6,000 square feet in order to house 30 women and children for up to 90 days per woman. KentHOPE opened its Women and Children’s Day Center in 2013 at 9009 Canyon Drive. The center offers meals, showers, laundry facilities, clothing, life skill classes, Internet access and other services. Since opening, it has helped more than 200 women find housing and nearly 100 find jobs.

“We’ve had amazing success at our day center in two years but we have limitations with a 1,400-square-foot house and we can’t shelter children,” said Gray, whose group asked the city for the zoning change.

The Union Gospel Mission will lead the fundraising drive for a new facility. No timeline has been set about when the shelter would open.

“We expect that a majority of the fundraising will come from the citizens of Kent,” said Dave Mitchell, chief operating officer of the Union Gospel Mission. “Over the last two years for the current operation they have donated more than $250,000 and we believe the generous people of Kent will support this even stronger with a permanent facility.”

Shelter supporters wanted to make sure the city would allow the facility before announcing their plans. The city’s Land Use and Planning Board voted 5-0 to approve the zoning change on Jan. 25, which sent the proposal to the council committee.

Emergency housing under current city code must be in commercial and industrial zones and by a conditional use permit. The amendment would allow a shelter in a duplex multifamily zoning district, such as at the First Presbyterian Church. KentHOPE and the Union Gospel Mission still would need to get a conditional use permit from the city. Impacts to a surrounding neighborhood of emergency housing are reviewed during the conditional use permit process, according to city officials.

KentHOPE partners with about 11 churches, including First Presbyterian, to provide emergency overnight housing one month at a time. The new facility would replace that housing as well as the day center, Gray said.

Erin George, city senior planner, told the Economic and Community Development Committee that she visited a couple of overnight shelters at churches and didn’t observe any issues with the surrounding neighborhoods.

“There were no outward indications that homeless were being housed there,” George said. “There were definitely no lingering homeless people outside of either facility.”

The number of homeless in Kent continues to climb as 165 homeless people were counted in the early hours Jan. 29 as part of the 36th annual One Night Count in King County, according to the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness. Kent had 135 homeless people counted last year. Previous counts included 60 in 2014, 53 in 2013 and 104 in 2012. This year’s count included 21 men, seven women, one minor under age 18 and 136 whose gender was unknown.

Council President Bill Boyce looks forward to seeing the new facility.

“This is a good start for us to be able to offer some assistance to homeless people in Kent,” Boyce said. “I’m excited to see the building go up and the offer of good service. A lot of people in Kent want to see this happen and the council wants to see it happen. I feel this is a good first step.”