While the King County’s Department of Community and Human Services is buying hotels in some neighboring towns and converting them into homes for the homeless, it has no plans to make similar purchases in Kent.
“We’re not looking to buy a hotel in Kent right now,” Sherry Hamilton, communications director for the Department of Community and Human Services, said in an August 2nd email. “Our Health Through Housing program is based on partnership with cities and we would only seek a Health Through Housing hotel partnership in Kent in consultation with Kent.”
The county has purchased hotels or apartments for the homeless in four locations in Seattle and one each in Redmond, Auburn, Renton, and Federal Way. King County is collecting a new 0.1% sales tax to pay for the program. However, the city councils of several cities, including Kent and Renton, voted to keep this sales tax in the city instead of collecting it from the county.
Derek Matheson, chief administrative officer for the city of Kent, said he and Mayor Dana Ralph meet weekly with Leo Flor, the county’s director of community and social services, and Flor has relayed the same message about hotel purchases.
“He told us that the county had no plans to buy a permanent hotel in Kent,” Matheson said in an email on July 29th.
Communication between county officials and the city of Kent remains a priority after the county bought the former EconoLodge. 1233 Mittelallee. N., in March 2020 as a COVID-19 isolation and quarantine facility without informing the city or following the approval process.
Both sides later settled that dispute, although the county continues to own the former hotel and has not announced any plans for the facility.
“We don’t currently have a future plan for the hotel but will remain in constant communication with Kent City leaders once the need to get the hotel ready to respond to COVID-19 is over,” said Hamilton.
Nobody is currently in the facility.
“It is ready for use again as a COVID-19 isolation and quarantine facility if necessary to keep residents and our community safe during this ongoing pandemic,” said Hamilton.
The city guides want the district to sell the property as soon as it is no longer needed for the pandemic. The county officials take it one day at a time.
“There is no plan for this property that is not used for isolation and quarantine,” said Hamilton. “We will work with the City of Kent on any plan for this location at some point in the future once the pandemic threat is safely behind us.”
The county’s purchase of hotels in Seattle, Redmond, Auburn and Federal Way has prompted officials to investigate other parts of the county with no homeless homes nearby, Hamilton said.
Kent’s homeless shelter
Although the Kent county and city have not opened or bought any homeless facilities, a nonprofit operates an apartment for the homeless facility on West Hill.
“It is worth noting that, unlike other cities, Kent already has permanent support housing in the form of the Thea Bowman Apartments owned by the Catholic Community Services,” said Matheson.
The 80-unit facility was completed in November 23920 32nd Ave. S., and hosts single adults with disabilities moving out of homelessness, including 36 veterans.
Named for Thea Bowman, a pioneering Roman Catholic nun who advocated cultural awareness and racial harmony, the apartments provide permanent supportive accommodation for veterans and homeless people with chronic mental illness and substance abuse, and have around-the-clock staff on site, according to the Catholic Community Services website.
The four-story building is on a cul-de-sac northeast of Lowe’s Store, east of the new light rail line under construction, and west of Interstate 5.
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