Everett officials have questions about a 125-room hotel shelter

EVERETT – While Snohomish County attempts to convert a local hotel into an emergency shelter, some city officials raise concerns.

The county plans to transform a yet-to-be-elected Everett hotel into 24-hour property with on-site service, a strategy that is being mirrored in neighboring counties and states.

The 24-hour shelters are “probably the fastest-selling models in the country,” MJ Brell Vujovic, director of human services for Snohomish County, told city council members this week. Approximately 44% of Snohomish County’s street residents live in Everett.

But some city council members on Wednesday expressed frustration that neighboring cities are no longer doing anything to combat homelessness.

Bringing social services to Everett is a “vicious cycle” that attracts more people to rely on them, said councilor Scott Bader.

“To be honest, I’d be willing to bet money that five years later, despite your best efforts, none of our partner jurisdictions in the county will rise and do something similar,” Bader said.

The outgoing councilor wants the facility to only serve residents of the city limits. He also proposed a no-sit-no-lie ordinance, like the one targeting the homeless in North Everett, which the city council passed in March.

Councilor Paul Roberts agreed that Everett carried a “disproportionate burden” on homelessness. But there is no need to cater to local needs, he said.

That year there was a 59% increase in calls from 211 asking for shelters and lodging, said Mike Fong, Snohomish County’s chief recovery and resilience officer.

Using existing structures instead of starting from scratch “makes so much sense to me,” said Council President Brenda Stonecipher.

“The idea that we are getting a significant portion of our uninhabited population in Everett (sheltered) … is very exciting,” she said.

The people accommodated in the shelter are expected to stay an average of 180 nights. The district is looking for a hotel with approx. 125 beds, away from residential areas. Snohomish County is already renting motel rooms to provide emergency shelter. In these cases, Vujovic said, there were no major complaints from neighbors.

Fewer people on the street could mean less to law enforcement, she added, and ultimately saved money.

Snohomish County will use federal COVID funds to purchase the property and is attempting to replicate the plan in other cities.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin has described the plan as an exciting opportunity that the city probably couldn’t afford on its own. Council members, meanwhile, only learned of the plan through media reports. Some considered asking the county to pump the breaks.

Two new councilors, Mary Fosse and Paula Rhyne, said this was “sending the wrong message”. In a joint letter to incumbent councilors, the duo said their constituents “have overwhelmingly identified homelessness as their top priority” and that the plan should not be delayed.

The project is still in its infancy. No hotel has been selected yet. Once that happens, the county is expected to begin contacting neighbors in the first quarter of 2022.

To ensure transparency with city residents, Councilor Judy Tuohy said the public should be given additional time to ask questions and comment on the proposal.

Claudia Yaw: 425-339-3449; [email protected]. Twitter: @yawclaudia.