King County Buys 4th Hotel To Help House The Homeless

REDMOND, WA — King County has finalized the purchase of a Redmond hotel to support the "Health Through Housing" initiative, designed to provide permanent, safe and stable housing for up to 1,600 people experiencing chronic homelessness by the end of next year.

The former Silver Cloud Inn joins three other facilities purchased for the program, including two in Seattle and one in Renton. Officials estimate the first four properties will be able to house 433 residents. King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Redmond Mayor Angela Birney to unveil the addition Wednesday.

"Across King County, communities are stepping up to the challenge of addressing chronic homelessness, and I am excited to partner with Mayor Birney and the City of Redmond on the next step of Health Through Housing," Constantine said. "Health Through Housing is built on partnerships to bring in our neighbors from off the street, and I'm thankful for Mayor Birney and the city to bring this vision to life for the people of King County."

Unlike traditional shelter options, county officials said hotel rooms offer each resident a safe and private space to call their own. On-site case managers can also provide an easier pathway out of homelessness for good.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, as we moved people out of congregate shelters and into hotels to keep them safe, we learned a very important lesson," said Claudia Balducci, chair of the King County Council. "When you give a person experiencing homelessness a door, privacy, and security, it makes a huge difference in their ability to stabilize, take care of their health, and start thinking about how they can move from homelessness to housing. I am thrilled to see the Health Through Housing effort take root on the Eastside as part of a regional strategy to address homelessness."

Related: Study Finds Housing Homeless In King County Hotels Is Effective

Redmond's Silver Cloud Inn was built in 1984 and sits on close to two acres. King County closed the deal for $28.25 million. Funds to purchase hotels, motels and other supportive housing come from a small portion of sales tax revenue.