Discussions On Bellevue Year-Round Men's Shelter Before Council

BELLEVUE, WA - City Council on Monday night will begin discussions on operating a year-round men's homeless shelter at Lincoln Center. The Council will begin by talking about funding for the shelter and possibly operating a second interim shelter during construction at Lincoln Center.

Lincoln Center, a former office building, will need significant upgrades to be safe for overnight use. Those upgrades, including fire safety upgrades and renovations, could cost between $900,000 and $1.2 million.

The city is considering two options on how to pay for upgrades. Congregations For the Homeless (CFH), which runs the shelter, has proposed doing all the work itself funded through private donations. The other option is that Bellevue pays for upgrades. Under the CFH option, construction could be done as soon as November compared to February 2020 under the Bellevue option.

The Council will also discuss leasing another facility as a "bridge" in case construction at Lincoln Center prevents the winter shelter from opening on time.

The city estimates it will cost some $570,000 per year to operate the year-round shelter.

A second round of talks is scheduled for the April 1 meeting.