City Council Briefing
Seattle's Mayor Wilson administration presented an ambitious emergency shelter acceleration plan aimed at opening 1,000 new shelter units by the end of 2026, with the first 500 units targeted for completion before the World Cup in late May. The comprehensive presentation outlined three pieces of legislation to remove regulatory barriers and appropriate $4.8 million in funding, alongside existing budget resources totaling $17.5 million. The initiative focuses on proven shelter models including tiny home villages (micro shelters), master-leased apartment buildings, and expanded capacity at existing facilities. A key component involves increasing the census limit from 100 to 150 people per site, with allowances for one site to accommodate up to 250 people. The plan emphasizes service-rich environments with 24/7 staffing, case management, behavioral health support, and medication-assisted treatment programs. The Mayor's office formed an interdepartmental team (IDT) in January that surveyed over 70 public and private sites, engaged with providers about capacity expansion, and developed policy recommendations. The urgency stems from both the ongoing homelessness emergency and the approaching World Cup, which will bring 250,000 visitors to Seattle. Council members expressed strong support for the urgency while seeking details on site selection, community engagement, staffing capacity, and long-term funding. The presentation emphasized partnership with neighborhoods through good neighbor agreements and community advisory committees.
No formal votes were taken during this briefing session. The presentation outlined three pieces of pending legislation: **Leasing Authority Expansion:** Would allow the FAS Director to sign leases for sites up to 65,000 square feet (increased from 18,000) and remove price caps per square foot to allow market pricing. This aims to reduce site preparation time from 9-12 months to 3-5 months. **Census Limit Increases:** Would raise the maximum occupancy from 100 to 150 people per site, with allowance for one si…
**Immediate Timeline:** - March 16-24: Site previews with affected Council districts - April 2026: First shelter sites potentially opening (some not requiring new legislation) - April 7: Finance Committee vote on appropriation legislation - May/June: World Cup deadline for first 500 units - Mid-summer: Second wave of sites using new leasing authority - July 26: Deadline for spending Community Development Block Grant funds **Committee Process:** - March 24 and ongoing: Public Safety Committee review of surveillance data and immigrati…