City of Tacoma adds more than 100 shelter beds in anticipation of inclement winter weather
The City of Tacoma is preparing additional shelter resources for those living unhoused in anticipation of inclement winter weather.
This winter, the city will have 113 extra shelter beds to mitigate the impact of cold temperatures and precipitation on those living unsheltered.
According to city spokesperson Maria Lee, 53 of those beds will be available at a seasonal winter weather shelter at 813 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The seasonal shelter will be open from Nov. 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
According to the city, the location will offer overnight shelter as well as daytime resources – including connection to employment, substance-use disorder services and mental health counseling for up to 53 adults. Two meals per day will be provided for shelter guests.
Lee said referrals will be accepted from other shelter locations that are at capacity and from members of the City’s Homeless Engagement and Alternatives Liaison (HEAL) team as well as other outreach teams operating throughout Tacoma.
The City is also contracting with providers for additional shelter capacity when overnight temperatures are forecast to dip to 35 degrees with wind or rain or when overnight temperatures are forecast to be 32 degrees or lower regardless of weather.
Those beds will be at:
▪ Catholic Community Services’ Nativity House, 702 S. 14th St., where an additional 20 beds will serve people 18 and over.
▪ Beacon Young Adult Shelter, 415 S. 13th St., where an additional 20 beds will serve people 18-24.
▪ Saint Vincent de Paul Community Resource Center, 4009 S. 56th St., where up to 20 vouchers for hotel rooms can be provided for use at locations throughout Tacoma that can support households as needed.
Lee told The News Tribune that last winter, the city had a total of 150 extra beds. That included 50 seasonal shelter beds and 100 inclement weather beds.
“Although there are less Inclement Weather Beds available across Tacoma’s shelters this year, the City will continue to monitor the level of need and work with its community partners to increase capacity as needed,” Lee said in an email.
According to Lee, the city is finalizing contracts for the beds. The funding primarily will come from two grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That includes approximately $360,000 from a Community Development Block Grant and about $125,000 from an Emergency Solution Grant.
Lee told The News Tribune the city has learned that it is important to leverage available resources and reduce barriers to shelter for those living outside during inclement weather.
“We track weather patterns and anticipate the number of nights we’ll need to activate extra shelter capacity,” she wrote in an email. “In the past two years, we’ve averaged 45 nights of inclement weather response.”
People who wish to learn more about shelter operations are invited to a community discussion hosted by Neighborhood and Community Services Department staff on Nov. 14 at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Room 243 from 6-7 p.m.
More information about the City’s inclement weather shelter and resources is available at the city’s website.
