Deal Reached On Land For Bellevue Homeless Shelter

BELLEVUE, WA — Congregations for the Homeless (CFH) has reached a purchase agreement with King County for surplus land at 13620 Southeast Eastgate Way. CFH plans to build a 100-bed year-round shelter for men on the site, and possibly workforce rental housing.

CFH identified the Eastgate parcel last December as its preferred location for the shelter, largely because the site fits with Bellevue's zoning regulations for homeless shelters. The Eastgate site is just east of Seattle Humane, and not far from the Eastgate Health Center, where CFH in 2014 sought to build a shelter.

CFH has picked developers Inland Group and Horizon Housing Alliance to complete the project. In addition to the shelter, Inland Group may build up to 300 affordable rental units on the property. Housing Alliance may build up to 80 apartment units with wraparound services for people transitioning out of homelessness.

Next, CFH will seek a permit for the project through the city of Bellevue. Local officials, including County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilwoman Claudia Balducci, hailed the purchase agreement as a major step for the Eastside's homeless community.

‘This is a major milestone for CFH and King County. This moves the proposal closer to beginning the city permit process, a critical step to having the shelter built in a timely manner," Bellevue Mayor John Chelminiak said in a statement.

There were 337 homeless people living on the Eastside in 2019, according to the county's point-in-time count. That figure is just a snapshot, but it was down compared to the 2018 count when 393 were found living homeless in Eastside cities.

Meanwhile, CFH is renovating the Lincoln Center building in downtown Bellevue to turn the winter-only shelter into a year-round facility. That project is expected to be complete by the end of this fall. The Eastgate project may not be complete until 2022, CFH has said.