Survival Services are a vital resource
Since 1979 DESC has prioritized services to marginalized and chronically homeless people by operating the lowest-barrier shelters in the region. Our Survival Services are a vital resource for thousands of people experiencing homelessness who might otherwise have nowhere else to go.
In addition to providing safe, secure shelter, hot meals and day-time safe haven from the streets, these services are a focal point for DESC’s outreach efforts and vulnerability assessments, and help people access a wide range of programs (both at DESC and elsewhere) to help them stabilize their lives and get permanent housing.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we offer shelter to our clients. We now see emergency housing as a better alternative to the conventional model of crowded, congregate emergency shelter. DESC emergency housing is a low-barrier program that provides rooms to single adults experiencing chronic homelessness. We offer basic amenities and safe, private, dignified spaces in which people can temporarily live while they search for permanent housing.
DESC Emergency Housing sites
DESC operates two emergency housing sites under King County’s Health Through Housing program. Both were former hotels that the county purchased in order to convert them to housing:
- DESC Mary Pilgrim Inn began operating as emergency housing at the end of October 2021.
- The Gateway in Honor of Tenaya Wright welcomed housing guests in June 2022.
Shelters that are operating
- Capacity for 25 women in one of DESC’s supportive housing projects, Kerner-Scott House at 510 Minor Avenue North
- Navigation Center at 606 12th Avenue South
- West Wing Shelter on the corner of 5th and Jefferson Streets
Shelters that are closed due to COVID-19
As long as the lack of affordable housing means our clients are left outside unprotected, we’ll continue to work with the city and county to provide this critical service.