Downtown Seattle hotel reopens as temporary homeless shelter

Executive Pacific opens at temporary housing shelter

The Seattle hotel with up to 150 units will temporarily house individuals experiencing homelessness who are on the path to more permanent housing.

SEATTLE - The City of Seattle is opening two downtown Seattle hotels as temporary shelters with over 200 units available for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office announced the latest development in an online release Wednesday.

Executive Hotel Pacific, located in downtown Seattle on Spring Street, reopened this week with 150 rooms available to temporarily house people working toward a permanent housing option.

The temporary shelter is operated by the Low Income Housing Institute with case management and housing navigation services available.

Kings Inn, also located in downtown Seattle on 5th Avenue, will open next week as a 24/7 enhanced hotel shelter, with 66 rooms and additional services on site. The Chief Seattle Club will operate the shelter and begin taking clients on March 29th.

The mayor’s office said the second hotel will focus primarily on American Indian and Alaskan native people who are unhoused.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have invested an unprecedented amount of resources in creating a safer 24/7 enhanced shelter system, providing food access, hygiene resources, and all levels of support for our homeless neighbors," said Durkan. "Homelessness requires a range of strategies that meet individuals wherever they intersect with housing insecurity, and temporary shelter coupled with rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing will help individuals successfully navigate through our system. With today’s opening, we will bring more people inside and help them on the path towards stable housing."

The two hotels are part of a surge in investments by the mayor back in October 2020 and following the Seattle City Council passing the legislation in November last year.

Hotels will be leased for 12 months and will follow COVID-19 safety guidelines. The City is using the one-time federal funding to launch the program with a goal to move the unsheltered individuals into more permanent housing.

Stay connected with Q13 News on all platforms:

DOWNLOAD: Q13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: Q13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: Q13 FOX on YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram