Summary

King County has purchased the former Extended Stay America hotel in Renton and will launch a partnership with the City of Renton to provide permanent supportive housing for more than 100 people experiencing chronic homelessness. This is the second hotel purchase in County Executive Dow Constantine’s Health through Housing initiative.

Story

King County has completed the purchase of its second property in the Health through Housing Initiative, the former Extended Stay America hotel in Renton. King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone and other guests at a news conference on June 22, 2021 to announce the $28.6 million purchase of the hotel.

"Chronic homelessness is a regional challenge, and joining with our partners in Renton we are creating a regional solution with Health Through Housing,"said Executive Constantine. "I couldn’t be happier to partner with Mayor Pavone and the City of Renton in this collaboration to create more safe and stable housing in South King County for more than 100 people who would otherwise be outside."

"We know homelessness has no boundaries, and we recognize the challenges ahead," said Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone. "We will partner with local service providers, governments, and the community to provide opportunities for a solution. We are confident our partnership with King County and Executive Constantine will allow us to address the needs of some of our most vulnerable populations."

The hotel, located at 1150 Oakesdale Avenue Southwest in Renton, was constructed in 1998 and contains 110 units and sits on approximately 3.88 acres. The site has one three-story structure, one building for storage, and parking areas. Each room has a kitchenette, full bathroom, a bed and a small seating area.

As with all purchases pursued through the Health through Housing Initiative, King County has worked closely with local leaders, coordinating closely with Mayor Pavone and the City of Renton.

The hotel will provide housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, along with 24/7 onsite staffing that will include case management, employment counseling, and access to health and behavioral health services. A competitive process will determine the onsite service provider before the facility is operational later this year.

"Housing is the solution to homelessness, and the work of Health through Housing allows us to bring more of our neighbors inside," said Marc Dones, CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. "We know from the research and from listening to people with lived experience that prioritizing housing is the key to getting more people the options they need."

King County and the City of Renton are working closely and productively to resolve legal issues related to the emergency siting and operation of a pandemic response shelter deintensification hotel in 2020. As part of that agreement, the County is working expeditiously to phase out the shelter use at the former Red Lion Hotel while also ensuring that the shelter guests can move directly to other housing purchased under the Health through Housing program. Fifteen percent of units will be provided to individuals living in or near Renton or have ties to the community. King County will coordinate the first phase of closure of the shelter site in tandem with the opening of the housing at the Extended Stay site.

Health through Housing is an initiative introduced by Executive Constantine in his 2020 Budget Speech that dedicates one tenth of a cent of sales tax revenues for the purchase of hotels, motels and other single room settings for use as emergency and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness in King County. King County announced the purchase of its first Health through Housing hotel in Seattle last month. The King County Council approved the initiative and the implementation of the funding. The sales tax was made possible by the Washington State Legislature to create a dedicated fund source to help in addressing the crisis of homelessness.

Relevant links

• May 2021: State of the County - Health Through Housing announcement

Quotes

Chronic homelessness is a regional challenge, and joining with our partners in Renton we are creating a regional solution with Health Through Housing. I couldn’t be happier to partner with Mayor Pavone and the City of Renton in this collaboration to create more safe and stable housing in South King County for more than 100 people who would otherwise be outside.

We know homelessness has no boundaries, and we recognize the challenges ahead. We will partner with local service providers, governments, and the community to provide opportunities for a solution. We are confident our partnership with King County and Executive Constantine will allow us to address the needs of some of our most vulnerable populations.

"Housing is the solution to homelessness, and the work of Health through Housing allows us to bring more of our neighbors inside. We know from the research and from listening to people with lived experience that prioritizing housing is the key to getting more people the options they need.

For more information, contact:

Chase Gallagher, Executive Office, 206-263-8537

Preeti Shridhar, City of Renton, 206-491-8158