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One of the largest homeless shelters on the Eastside is in line to get a permanent home, but the new location聽 for Congregations for the Homeless won’t be ready for at least another three years.

While the new home is in its planning stages for , about 100 men are staying at a temporary location on City of Bellevue property. Seemingly a good solution after Sound Transit uprooted CFH to make way for its maintenance facility, the fire department has concluded that the building isn鈥檛 safe to house people overnight between the months of May and October. The building isn鈥檛 equipped with the proper sprinkler system and it needs a new water line.

鈥淟ast year on April 30, CFH was serving 150 men in that facility,鈥� said Kevin Wallace of Wallace Properties. 鈥淥n May 1, they had to put a note on the door that said they were closed. A hundred men were turned out with no plan for where they were supposed to go.鈥�

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Wallace, a developer and former Bellevue City council member, saw a problem and is organizing a team to develop a solution for CFH鈥檚 temporary home.

Since Bellevue doesn鈥檛 allow camping on sidewalks or public parks, tent cities, nor long-term parking, Wallace knew these 150 men had nowhere to legally sleep. And the same scenario is about to repeat this year.

Wallace told the city that he would work with the shelter and get the sprinkler system fixed for a lot cheaper and quicker.

鈥淣ow we鈥檙e out raising money to make that happen and to fund it privately,鈥� Wallace said.

The Bellevue City Council granted temporary use of the building to CFH during its meeting Monday night, and Wallace said the permit process can move forward. The city has been cooperative and Wallace has no doubt they鈥檒l be able to make progress.

鈥淗aving someone in the nonprofit world with his connections and passion and skill set has really allowed us to move forward …鈥� said David Bowling, director of the shelter.

Congregations for the Homeless

Congregations for the Homeless first opened its doors in 1993 as an agency of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council serving. It served 30 single men with a warm place to sleep and hot meals at the time. Since then, they鈥檝e opened a day center in downtown Bellevue and a subsidized housing program.

Bowling estimates about 400-500 people are in shelters any given night on the Eastside. Another 400-500 people are sleeping on couches or in cars.

鈥淥ur numbers have been increasing year-over-year for several years,鈥� Bowling said. 鈥淗omelessness has been around forever, but I started in 2005 and the numbers have increased drastically since I started doing this work.鈥�

Bowling added that he鈥檚 humbled and excited by the work that Wallace is doing.

Wallace said his goal is to get the building improvements completed before the May 1 deadline, but they鈥檙e working with the city on a contingency plan in case they run into a construction setback.

鈥淪o that this time there鈥檚 a plan where the men are able to go 鈥� or we have an extension worked out with the fire department,鈥� he said.

It鈥檚 not just Wallace who is rolling up his sleeves. He has reached out to his network for help.

has done all the architectural plans for free, is the civil engineer 鈥� same thing, and has come in and done the cost estimating and put together plans for the construction work 鈥� also at no cost,鈥� Wallace explained. 鈥淓veryone has said ‘Yes we鈥檒l help. Yes we鈥檒l help for free and what more can we do.’鈥�

He said they鈥檙e asking for volunteers to help out with things like painting.

鈥淚t really is a community problem and we all need to recognize that it exists and do what we can to help fix it,鈥� Wallace said.

A growing community need

Wallace said, historically, Congregations for the Homeless was a winter-only shelter. With the recent growth in homeless populations on the Eastside, it鈥檚 obvious the need exists for year-round operations.

He said he appreciates that communities on the Eastside have elected to enforce laws prohibiting long-term parking and camping on sidewalks. But he believes it鈥檚 then up to the entire community to develop a strategy to help the homeless. He worries that merely placing the responsibility on nonprofits as a solution won鈥檛 be enough.

鈥淣o one is asking if it鈥檚 actually sufficient,鈥� he said.

Wallace鈥檚 hope is that cities on the Eastside develop a homeless strategy and then share that with King County and Seattle for an improved regional approach.

鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 a solvable problem,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an important problem to solve. We have a lot of work to do, but I think it鈥檚 something we can be successful at, make a difference, and show not just the Puget Sound region but the whole country how the homeless should be served and how to create a solution to this problem.鈥�

Wallace encourages anyone who wants to help CFH to check out the for more information, but more importantly, to be willing to volunteer ideas and time to finding a solution.

MyNorthwest is spotlighting local businesses that are making a difference in the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness. If you know of a business that you think is creating solutions, please email us at feedback@mynorthwest.com with details.