515 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
phone: 206-464-1570
fax: 206-624-4196
desc. org
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 19, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: DESC Sr. Communications Manager Jessica Schreindl, jschreindl@desc.org
DESC’s STAR Center to Open in Downtown Seattle: Providing Pathway Out of Homelessness for Vulnerable Adults
Seattle, WA – DESC is proud to announce its Stability Through Access and Resources (STAR) Center – a new model that will change how our community’s highest-needs population gets off the streets and into care. Scheduled to open by the end of March 2025, the STAR Center will serve as a behavioral health-focused non-congregate shelter program specifically for unsheltered adults facing significant mental health and substance use challenges. Funding for the STAR Center is being provided by the City of Seattle and King County and will be overseen by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
In addition to providing people shelter, the center will offer a wide range of services to help individuals meet their physical and mental health needs while assisting them in navigating a pathway to permanent housing.
“STAR Center represents an innovative approach to providing shelter and support for unsheltered adults with the greatest needs,” said Daniel Malone, Executive Director at DESC. “People who have been living on the streets and are unable to access care due to significant mental health and substance use disorder challenges will now have a place to rest, address their basic needs, and connect to a variety of services, including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and permanent housing navigation. STAR Center will provide a pathway off the streets, into care, and ultimately out of homelessness for some of our most vulnerable neighbors.”
The shelter will be located at 619 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle, at the former site of St. Charles supportive housing operated by Plymouth Housing. This new facility will accommodate between 75 and 85 individuals, offering a critical lifeline to those in need.
“Just as the region needs emergency rooms and primary care, we need both shelter and housing to meet the scale of need,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “King County is focused on partnering with local jurisdictions to expand affordable housing options and enhanced shelter to meet the urgent housing and homelessness crisis. DESC, the City of Seattle, King County, and KCRHA are creating additional shelter and behavioral health supports so people can come in from living outside, connect with services, and stabilize and move forward on the path to permanent housing. These services are needed in every part of the county, and thousands more people will be able to move inside with help from the STAR Center.”
City of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell emphasized the transformative potential of the STAR Center and connected it to other city efforts, like its Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department:
“The STAR Center will offer a new approach to enhanced shelter that is not only a space to bring indoors our most vulnerable neighbors – it is also a place that provides them with the care and services they need to heal and find stability,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Combined with our citywide expansion of the CARE Department’s behavioral health responders and efforts to increase access to treatment and recovery services, Seattle will continue to advance an urgent, compassionate, and innovative effort to reduce homelessness and help people transform and rebuild their lives.”
A Comprehensive Path to Care and Housing
The STAR Center will serve as a point of entry for unsheltered adults with complex behavioral health needs. The center’s programming will be individualized to address each person’s unique situation and will focus on mental health, substance use disorders, housing, and healthcare. Services will include medication for opioid use disorders, outpatient behavioral health services, and connections to long-term housing. The goal is to empower individuals with the tools and resources they need to successfully transition off the streets and into sustainable housing and care.
Prioritizing Safety and Security
The STAR Center will have a robust approach to safety and security. Security will be monitored 24/7, and the facility will be staffed around the clock, with a minimum of three staff members on duty at all times. Security monitoring will involve the use of security cameras and regular perimeter patrols, with a prompt response to any issues that arise. The center’s secure, non-congregate shelter model will ensure that each person receives the care and attention they need in a safe and supportive environment.
Who Will Benefit from the STAR Center?
The STAR Center will primarily serve unsheltered adults living with severe and persistent psychiatric conditions and substance use disorders. Referrals to the center will come from DESC’s Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center, Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team (MRRCT), and Homeless Outreach Stabilization and Transition (HOST) program, as well as the City of Seattle’s CARE team, Health One program, REACH, and other first responders and outreach teams.
Comprehensive Services for Long-Term Solutions
The STAR Center will offer more than just shelter. In addition to providing food, hygiene services, and a safe place to stay, the center will work closely with behavioral health professionals to connect individuals with the following services:
- Mental health services
- Substance use disorder treatments
- Permanent housing assessment and navigation
- Benefits and programs enrollment
- Other community-based services
By addressing both immediate needs and providing long-term solutions, the STAR Center will create lasting change in the lives of its guests and reduce the impact of homelessness on the Seattle community.
STAR is just one part of DESC’s efforts to launch a hub of coordinated, comprehensive care on Third Avenue in 2025. Read more about STAR and our new enhanced behavioral health clinic and its ORCA Center on our website: desc.org/third-ave-2025
These efforts are part of our continued work to create a pathway into permanent supportive housing for our most vulnerable community members. We’re currently working on building 200 new homes for people experiencing long-term homelessness with our Woodland Supportive Housing on Aurora Ave. N. and our 15th Avenue West project in Interbay.
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About DESC
The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing essential services to individuals facing homelessness in Seattle. DESC offers a range of programs, including outreach, crisis intervention, housing support, and behavioral health services, with a focus on helping the most vulnerable populations achieve stability and independence.