Outreach program will continue to provide support to homeless

The North Snohomish County Outreach will continue their motel program this year to house homeless individuals during cold nights and hopes to obtain funding for a longer-term cold weather shelter solution as well.

The group, which provides support and services for local homeless individuals, had tried to secure a facility in Arlington for use of a cold weather shelter last year and early this year but were unable to.

The volunteers who run the Marysville Emergency Cold Weather Shelter also had problems last year but were able to use the local Salvation Army's facility.

That is not an option this year because that building was too small to safely run during a pandemic, so they are supporting the North Snohomish County Outreach's motel program as well.

"We are working on expanding our motel program," said Sarah Higginbotham, executive director of the North Snohomish County Outreach.

The program provides funding for motel rooms and provides dinner and a breakfast bag to participants as well.

"We're still working on the contracts with the motels," said Higginbotham.

The program supports those in coordinated entry that are waiting for more stable housing and after that supports those that are most at risk: those with medical conditions, the elderly and families with children.

Those who want to support the food services can contact Susan Gronemyer at [email protected].

Monetary donations can be made to the motel program at nscoutreach.org/cws-motel-program.

North Snohomish County Outreach also hopes to fundraise for a pop-up shelter that can house other individuals during cold nights.

They are looking to purchase a rapid shelter pop-up, which look similar to a large tent, but come with better insulated walls, a generator and HVAC to provide heat.

These shelters are often used by first responders setting up field hospitals.

"We have a company that we are working with in Eugene, Or.," said Higginbotham. The company's website is at deployedlogix.com.

This model for a cold weather shelter would be more flexible.

"The nice thing with this tent shelter is that we can set it up anywhere," said Higginbotham. "So we wouldn't be tied to a building or even an area," and they could set up in other parts of the north county area such as Marysville and Tulalip as well."

If the organization raises $25,000 they will have enough for a shelter that can accommodate 16 people with pandemic safety restrictions and 32 people without those restrictions.

The organization hopes to fundraise quickly because they've can receive funds from the federal coronavirus relief bill to support the purchase if payment is made by Dec. 30.

The city of Arlington is working with the organization to find a suitable location for the program if they are able to purchase the shelter.

The North Snohomish County Outreach has an anonymous donor that is providing matching donations up to $25,000 for the program.

Donations can be made at nscoutreach.org/cws-shelter-purchase-1.

"The earliest we could get this program up is January," said Higginbotham. "Our target date to get our fundraising done is by Dec. 15."

Shelters which don't have many restrictions or other barriers are rare in the county and Higginbotham said that they are important to support those in need.

"Low-barrier shelters are a need that we have here and we keep running into the problem of not finding a location," she said.

She hopes that their temporary shelter can fill some of that need.

More information about the North Snohomish County Outreach can be found at nscoutreach.org.