Health Through Housing Initiative

Overview

The Health Through Housing (HTH) Initiative is an innovative approach that accelerates our region’s response to chronic homelessness.

King County is partnering with host cities to create up to 1,600 units of emergency housing and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness.

Through innovative partnerships and close collaboration with city governments, service providers, and local communities, HTH acquires former hotels and other existing buildings and converts them into apartments that are dignified, affordable, and service enriched. HTH offers two types of housing, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Emergency Housing (EH), both of which feature 24/7 staffing and supports such as:

• Case management
• Employment navigation
• Transportation access
• Connection to physical and behavioral health services

Since its inception, King County has worked with local leaders to identify suitable properties and conduct project planning and community engagement together.

Health Through Housing building updates

• Sharyn Grayson House (Capitol Hill, Seattle) – Lavender Rights Project will operate this site with property management support from Chief Seattle Club. Construction is close to completion and the program will welcome its first residents at the end of June.  HTH and partners are thrilled to celebrate Pride by ending homelessness for 32 people here.  
• Harold Booker House (Federal Way) – Construction is underway to convert the building to 86 units of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). King County, the City of Federal Way, and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, the housing operator, are continuing community engagement, launching a local referral process, and working on program implementation to welcome residents in a phased opening starting this summer.  
• HTH Kirkland – Plymouth Housing will be the operator and is collaborating with King County and the City of Kirkland to develop a Community Relations Plan and other required documents. Meetings with neighboring businesses and property owners are also ongoing. Construction is happening now to convert the building to 100 units of PSH, with opening anticipated by the end of 2025. 
• Haven Heights in Honor of Bruce Thomas (Redmond) - The Salvation Army is the housing operator and is currently moving new residents in during phased construction.  This site is currently operating as emergency housing and will be converted to 100 units of PSH by the end of 2025. 
• Don’s Place (Auburn) has 81 units of emergency housing and is at capacity.  Compass Housing Alliance is the housing operator. 
• Sidney Wilson House (Renton) has 107 units and is at capacity. Catholic Community Services (CCS) is the housing operator. Major building renovations are underway now. 
• Mary Pilgrim Inn in Bitter Lake (Seattle) has 85 units of emergency housing and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator. Major building renovations are underway now. 
• The Gateway in honor of Tenaya Wright in Haller Lake (Seattle) has 113 units of emergency housing and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.     
• Salmonberry Lofts in honor of Peter Joe in Pioneer Square (Seattle) has 76 units and is at capacity. Chief Seattle Club is the housing operator.    
• The Argyle in Downtown Seattle is a small, 10-unit mixed-use building owned by King County. Given its unique size and structure, the county is exploring appropriate uses for the site.   
• The Bob G in Queen Anne (Seattle) is closed for major renovations. The operator, Catholic Community Services, relocated all residents to alternative supportive housing units in 2023. King County is in the process of determining the scope of work necessary for conversion into permanent supportive housing.   
• The North Star in Bitter Lake (Seattle) has 100 HTH-funded units and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.    
• Bertha Pitts Campbell Place in the Central District (Seattle) has 100 HTH-funded units and is at capacity. Plymouth Housing is the housing operator.    
• Burbridge Place in Green Lake (Seattle) has 62 HTH-funded units and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.    
• Sacred Medicine House in Lake City (Seattle) has 120 HTH-funded units and is at capacity. Chief Seattle Club is the housing operator.    
• Bloomside (Burien) has 95 HTH-funded units and at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.   
• Sweetgrass Flats (Seattle) is a new acquisition and rehab project for Chief Seattle Club, anticipated to open fall 2025 with 84 units of PSH.  HTH committed services funding in 2024 concurrent with a separate King County capital award, making this the 6^th operations-only project in the HTH portfolio. 

How HTH is funded