King County Buys 5th Hotel For 'Health Through Housing' Program

AUBURN, WA — King County has secured a fifth hotel to provide more safe housing for people experiencing long-term homelessness, announcing Wednesday the purchase of the Clarion Inn in Auburn. Once it is ready, the latest hotel will offer private quarters for 102 people through the county's "Health Through Housing" initiative. In recent weeks, the county announced similar purchases in Seattle, Renton and Redmond.

"With this acquisition another 100 people will be able to come in off the street, as this partnership with Mayor Backus and Auburn will set another piece of the puzzle to ending chronic homelessness in King County," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "Our approach is straightforward — practical and human — and we're thrilled to be able to offer more people in South King County the chance at a fresh start."

The Clarion Inn, located on 16th Street Northwest in Auburn, was built in 1998 and is located near transit and other services, the county said. Like the other hotels, the inn will provide each resident a private living space and offer staffing and support services around the clock. The county purchased the hotel for $11.8 million and expects it to become operational later in the year.

"We are excited by the opportunity this facility creates to support Auburn's unsheltered community and bridge the gap for our region's permanent supportive housing needs," said Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus. "We look forward to working closely with the county as we move forward in determining a service provider that can best meet the needs of the residents at this location.

King County Health Through Housing purchases to date:

• North Seattle: Holiday Inn Express & Suites (99 units)
• Uptown Seattle: Inn at Queen Anne (80 units)
• Renton: Extended Stay America (110 units)
• Redmond: Silver Cloud Inn (144 units)
• Auburn: Clarion Inn (102 units)

Funding for the Health Through Housing hotels comes from a percentage of sales tax revenue. The program aims to create 1,600 emergency housing and permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing long-term homelessness by the end of next year. A study conducted last year found moving unhoused people out of emergency shelters and into hotels during the pandemic was effective in increasing stability, reducing conflict and moving people into permanent housing.