Shelter and Housing

Stable housing provides the foundation for stable living. The City of Seattle funds a variety of shelter, transitional housing and housing support services for homeless and low-income individuals and families.

In addition, as part of its commitment to implementing the Ten-Year Plan to End Homeless in King County, the City has adopted a “housing first” strategy, which provides homeless people permanent housing with immediate access to services critical to stabilizing their lives. This includes education, job training, and finding treatment for a medical, mental health or addiction problems.

Shelter and Housing Support Services funded by the City of Seattle:

• Temporary shelter and assistance with long-term housing
• Service centers where homeless persons can meet their basic needs and find other supportive services
• Short-term transitional housing that includes a range of services such as searches for long-term housing, counseling, job training and employment, education, life skills training, health care, child care, transportation, and referrals to other services
• Homelessness prevention and housing stabilization programs
• Jobs, bus tickets, voice mail and furniture services
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
• McKinney Homeless Assistance federal funding
• Homeless Youth Shelter, Housing & Services
• Rapid Re-Housing and Housing First Services
• Affordable Housing

HousingSearchNW.org is a free resource to help you find a home anywhere in King County that fits your needs and budget. Property owners and managers throughout the county can post apartments or homes for rent any time, which means that the HousingSearchNW list is always current. The website is accessible 24 hours a day, while a toll-free call center (1-877-428-8844) is open Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Interpretation in a number of languages is available through the call center.

HousingSearchNW.org is sponsored by the City of Seattle, King County, the Seattle Housing Authority, the King County Housing Authority and the United Way of King County, and supported by the Tenants Union and the Rental Housing Association.

Need Help?

If you’re in need of shelter, basic human services or assistance, please contact the 211 Community Information Line at 2-1-1 or 1-800-621-4636 or 206-461-3200 or visit 211 Community Information Line.

Seattle Human Services Department
Street address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 5800, Seattle, WA 98104
Mailing address: PO Box 34215, Seattle, WA 98124-4215

Phone: 206-386-1001
Fax: 206-233-5119
TTY/TTD: 206-233-2778

Accommodations for people with disabilities provided upon request.