Snohomish attempts pivot to mandatory drug treatment in new homeless hotel
Aug 11, 2022, 3:30 PM | Updated: 6:33 pm
Ricky Moore works on his laptop at his accommodation arranged by the Co-LEAD program at a hotel in south King County on May 6, 2020 near Seattle, Washington. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
With Snohomish County days away from potentially approving the sale of the Days Inn for conversion into bridge housing for the homeless, the county鈥檚 council looks to make its enrollment conditional on drug treatment programs.
Snohomish County purchases hotel in Everett to increase housing for the homeless
鈥淐ounty-provided housing services at county-owned hotels must include a participant program agreement or code of conduct requiring a participant with a substance use disorder to participate in chemical dependency treatment services,鈥� a draft ordinance obtained by KTTH鈥檚 Jason Rantz Show reads.
The converted Days Inn will provide 74 shelter spaces. The county-led acquisition will help the region increase its shelter capacity by nearly 20%, with Executive Dave Somers reporting that Snohomish held 646 shelter beds by 2021鈥檚 end.
鈥淲ith these one-time federal funds, we have an opportunity to make transformational investments in our housing system,鈥� said Somers. 鈥淏y increasing our bridge housing capacity, we can provide safer places for vulnerable residents, create stability to support communities鈥� overall health and wellbeing, and make Snohomish County an even better place to live, work, and play 鈥� for everyone.鈥�
Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring is expected to announce tomorrow his interest in delaying that vote until late September when the drug treatment ordinance can be heard.
The mandatory drug treatment ordinance would delay the final council vote on the transfer of the Days Inn, currently set for Aug. 17.
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