Homelessness and Housing Assistance

Housing Assistance and Homelessness

Need is high in Seattle, and housing placement and many services frequently have waitlists – with some shelters or housing placement taking up to months or years. However, the availability of resources and the length of the waitlist depends greatly on the location, and many services will be available quicker than others.

This guide is just to get you started. For general homelessness resources, and a more comprehensive rundown of accessing this care , check https://ingersollgendercenter.org/seattle-shelter-housing-guide/.

Coordinated Entry

Most long-term housing assistance for adults and families in Washington State is accessed through the Coordinated Entry process. If you are homeless in Washington, you should try and do this ASAP.
To access housing support, start by contacting your local coordinated entry provider (“Regional Access Point”) to complete an intake.

• Seattle/King County coordinated entry is managed by King County Regional Homelessness Authority. For locations in Seattle:
  • PEER Seattle (queer org) has someone weekly. The best way is to go in and schedule an appointment.
    Otherwise, we’ve also heard that as of earlier in 2026, someone’s there every Monday. It’s 4 slots, first-come first-serve, starting at 10 (maybe show up 9-10). 1520 Bellevue Ave STE 100, Seattle, WA 98122, USA. This process may have changed, I would ask PEER for confirmation (and let me know if you do!)
  • If you will be able to go in in-person, Catholic Community Services in the Central District. They do not take walk-ins, call 206-328-5900 for an appt.
  • Solid Ground North Seattle reportedly does remote intakes as well. You can call at (206) 694-6833 to schedule an appointment, though unclear how long the wait for a callback is.
• Tacoma/Pierce County coordinated entry: Pierce County
• Olympia/Thurston County coordinated entry: Family Support Center of the South Sound
• Vancouver/Clark County coordinated entry: Council for the Homeless
• Spokane/Spokane County coordinated entry: Spokane City Coordinated Entry
• See coordinated entry providers for ALL counties listed HERE

24 and Under (Youth / Young Adult) Housing Information

If you are homeless in Seattle and 24 or under, go to the YouthCare Orion Center in Capitol Hill / SLU. They can connect you to Coordinated Entry; and also have meals, case managers, a warm place to be, and other support.
Urban League also has a 24-hour shelter in the Central District for those 18-24; call 206-639-7477 for intake.

Folks 24 and under are also eligible for Coordinated Entry if they expect to lose housing in the next 2 weeks, so you don’t have to wait until you’re homeless like 25+ folks do.

Here is a map of statewide youth and young adult (ages 12-24) homelessness and housing programs. This includes youth shelters, rental assistance, and other types of support for youth and young adults experiencing housing instability. In some cases, young people can directly contact these organizations to get help rather than using the coordinated entry process explained above.

This WA State Homeless Youth Handbook provides comprehensive information that is relevant for young people experiencing housing instability.

Shelters and transitional housing

Calling 2-1-1 can help connect you to immediate shelters and see what’s available.
You can also call shelters directly to confirm capacity; usually morning-of rather than in advance. See a list here.

Most shelters and homeless resources in the city are accessed through Coordinated Entry. See above, and prioritize doing CE.

Most shelters that take walk-ups (not accessed through Coordinated Entry or referral) are provisioned on a day-to-day basis, and many in Seattle are single-sex. Your experience as a trans person may vary at these. I would try all of the following:

If you have a car (this program is ~30 minutes east of Seattle) Reclaim’s Shelter to Home program may be able to provide motel stays, with initial stays of up to 3 months. Call (425) 389-7114 for more info. They also have a program for survivors of gender-based violence.

Otherwise, visit and/or call various shelters (visiting likely best bet, calls may go to voicemail, but worth a shot to save yourself travel time):
Shelters vary in how trans-accepting they are. Use your judgment and go where you feel safest, but some may turn you away based on ID info or transphobia.

Non-referral Seattle-area shelters

“Women’s” shelters

WHEEL at First Presbyterian church. (206) 956-0334. 715 Spring Street, Seattle, WA, 98104 (downtown). They’re explicitly welcoming to trans women and non-binary people, they have trans people on staff. Unfortunately they are perpetually full on bed spots, but operate a walk-up intake program for safer sleeping inside and on mats at both shelters:

• Folks can arrive AT or AFTER 5 PM for First Presbyterian/4pm for Trinity Episcopal to get a mat-on-the-floor, night-time-only overflow spot. First Presbyterian is at 715 Spring St (around 20 overflow spots) and Trinity Episcopal is at 711 Cherry (up to 5 overflow spots).
• They can’t guarantee a nighttime mat, but haven’t had to turn away for lack of space recently. Once a guest is in the nighttime overflow, staff keeps track of nights stayed and intakes to a permanent 24-hour bed as space opens up (Usually takes 2-3 months).

YWCA Angeline’s Center. 206.436.8650. Day Center, some overnight shelter. 2030 3rd Avenue, M-F 10-4. I’d try calling, and also going in. If they can’t provide shelter they may be able to provide a referral to one. Probably somewhat less likely to be transphobic than other women’s shelters, but no guarantees. https://www.ywcaworks.org/programs/angelines-day-center

SHARE/ Wheel services: SHARE is a democratically organized/coordinated shelter and resource organization by and for unhoused residents. While it is a great idea in theory, there are a lot of mixed reviews from participants. It can be a very tight-knit, supportive community, and it can also be inflexible, restrictive, and inequitable–it all depends on the people who are at each location, especially in the context of transphobia or acceptance. It is very low barrier, and they have a mix of shelter and “tent city” options. SHARE has work requirements to stay in their programs, which can sometimes interfere with trying to find and obtain employment.

• SHARE indoor shelter screenings: Basement of the Josephinum: 1902 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, 6PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday; 1PM Monday/Thursday
• SHARE Tent City 3: 2720 S. Hanford (until 5/26/2026); (206) 399-0412
• SHARE Tent City 4: 12531 28th NE Seattle, WA 98125 (until 5/16/2026);
  • (206) 618-3901

DESC Various programs. – I believe this requires referral, but they’re not explicit (and 211 may be able to refer.) Call:

• (206) 464-1570 for Mary Pilgrim Inn (north seattle on Aurora, co-ed)
• (206) 584-2854 for info on North (Gateway). 13300 Stone Avenue North, Seattle, 98133. https://www.desc.org/what-we-do/survival-services/

Sophia’s Place in Bellevue (east of Seattle). 425.896.7385. Often at capacity but worth a call. https://sophiaway.org/sophia-place/. 3032 Bellevue Way Northeast, Bellevue, WA, 98004, but I wouldn’t just show up without calling first (it’s kinda far and often full). Closer to Renton though!

Elizabeth Gregory Home at University Lutheran Church (206) 729-0262 — 1604 NE 50th St
Seattle, WA 98105 (U-District). Day shelter in the basement of a Lutheran church, I checked and they are explicitly trans-friendly (including multiple trans people on staff!). I talked with the staff there, they’re open to trans women and all non-binary people (trans men will be turned away). Offers breakfast and lunch, hot showers, laundry, access to computers/internet/phones, and mailing address services. I’ve also seen them advertise a trans clothing swap in the past, but it seems like that’s more of an intermittent program.

“Men’s” shelters

Seattle Indian Center. (206) 329-8700 (Don’t have to be native.), 157 Roy Street, Seattle, WA, 98109. North of downtown. Some beds, May also be able to provide referrals. M-F 9:30-5:30. Hot meals too.
https://seattleindiancenter.org/programs

Bread of Life, 97 S Main Street, Seattle WA 98104. (206) 682-3579 . Pioneer Square, near Compass.
https://www.breadoflifemission.org/emergency-services. Religious. Bed sign-up 4:30-6:15 and 8-8:15, meals provided, doors close at 8:30.

Porchlight in Bellevue. Call 425-698-1295. 13668 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue WA 98005.
https://porchlightcares.org/shelter/ . Day center can refer to overnight shelter.

Nowhere to go, 8-9pm

Go in-person to Operation Nightwatch at 302 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144. Bit east of Chinatown. https://www.seattlenightwatch.org/get-help/nightwatch-shelter/ or 206-329-2099

Local hostel

Need somewhere to stay short-term? Try the Green Tortoise Hostel by Pike Place Market. It’s $40-60 a night, but reportedly has a cash discount. They also sometimes will do work exchange, where you do 16-20 hours of work a week in exchange for room and board. They don’t always have openings for this, but you can get more info here, or email workexchange@greentortoise.net.

Section 8 Housing

You should also get on the Section 8 Housing waitlist, which can pay a significant portion of your rent at any apartment. It is available to anyone making <30% AMI. (~$31,650 in 2024). This is a large “waitlist”, but is drawn from randomly, so you may get it within a year, or basically never. You can do this at https://www.seattlehousing.org/housing/housing-choice-vouchers.

Long-Term Supportive Medical Housing

For folks who are disabled or otherwise have substantial health needs (and are thus often unable to procure income), DSHS is able to connect folks to a variety of permanent supportive housing. See DSHS Long-Term Care Residential Options. There are a variety of options with varying levels of support and structure; the least-intensive of which is an Adult Family Homes or Assisted Living Facilities. Please see this page for more info about Adult Family Homes. Adult Family Homes and Assisted Living Facilities are similar; the primary difference is that AFH’s are smaller homes in regular neighborhoods with 2-6 residents, while Assisted Living Facilities are larger facilities with 7 or more residents. Both include options for folks in need of a range of support, from casual reminders to take medications to intensive daily support.

These living expenses can be covered by Apple Health Medicaid, with approval and referral from DSHS.

To apply for state-funded care+room and board at one of these facilities, visit the DSHS Home and Community Services (HCS) location in your county, findable at this page.

Please note: for King County (Seattle), the 2 HCS locations are in Renton and Federal Way. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only way to access this resource. I would consider calling ahead, but be prepared to make a trip to one of these locations. Both have transit connections nearby.

You can also find a list of facilities filterable for Medicaid-accepting locations here for reference, though you’ll need a DSHS referral to actually have one of these covered.
This is a housing option that has more structure and oversight than traditional housing, and may vary in experience and quality. I would read reviews of a few places before deciding to live somewhere, while also noting that reviews tend towards negative experiences over positive ones.

These facilities are intended for folks with medical needs, they are not just affordable housing providers. They are included in this guide because of the substantial overlap between folks with disabilities or health challenges, and those grappling with homelessness. I’m not sure about the exact criteria DSHS sticks to, but if health issues make it difficult for you to work and secure income, this may be a useful resource to you.

Other Resources

Income

Uplift NW helps unhoused folks find jobs. You should also shoot your shot at the Seattle Conservation Corps, a 12-month paid job training system by the Seattle city government for homeless adults. It also comes with benefits and more. Depending upon operational needs, they offer open enrollment on a rolling basis. A new cohort of 5-7 Corps members usually starts every 1-2 months. If you are interested in joining, call (206) 684-0190 to find out the schedule for the next Phone Screen.

Extreme Weather Shelters

On days and nights of abnormally high or low temperatures, King County opens up warming and cooling shelters. (Unfortunately it does not include the vast majority of winter days, even when it’s dangerous to be outside.) Info on these is available at https://kcrha.org/resources/severe-weather-shelter/, but you might be best-served by a quick web search to show local results, since they’re announced on a case-by-case basis during periods of extreme temps.

Medical Care while Homeless

King County has a mobile medic van, street medicine providers, and lists of providers who specifically service unhoused folks. More info at https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health-safety/health-centers-programs-services/health-services-for-the-homeless/healthcare-for-the-homeless

Veteran Resources

Minority Vets, a local nonprofit, runs Q’mmunity House, a group living facility for queer veterans experiencing homelessness in King County. They provide housing for 6-18 months. You must be located in King County to apply.

VA Puget Sound Health offers Care Coordinators for unhoused veterans, and tends to be pretty quick with getting folks access to transitional or permanent shelter. They also can help with food and legal assistance. *note that this is not a queer/trans specific resource*

Free Food, Meals, and other resources

Check Other Benefits and Resources for free meals around Seattle, food banks, and more!

Seattle Hygiene Resources

• Ballard Urban Rest Stop: **highly recommend this location**

  • A hygiene center for anyone experiencing homelessness with bathrooms, free showers, and laundry services (including soaps/detergent), in addition to many different hygiene products. Queer/trans friendly, showers are all private rooms that lock. ADA shower also available.
  • 2014B NW 57th St. Seattle, WA, 98107
  • Call for laundry appointments [same day only] or questions (206) 258-3626
  • Mon-Friday 6:30AM-9:00AM & 11:30AM-12:30PM

• Downtown Urban Rest Stop:

  • Tends to be busier and more prone to conflict, but longer hours than Ballard
  • Go early, as spots for laundry can fill up fast!
  • 1924 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA
  • Call for laundry appointments [same day only] or questions (206) 332-0110
  • Mon-Friday: 7:30AM-4:30PM [closed 12PM-1PM]

• Compass Hygiene Center

  • Hygiene center that offers access to bathrooms, showers, and laundry services
  • Mon-Fri 7AM-4PM / Saturday 8AM-12PM
  • (206) 474-1680
  • 210 Alaskan Way S, Basement Level, Seattle, WA 98104

• Shower Trailers: (206) 386-1030 for most up-to-date information

  • Queene Anne, 9AM-4PM, 157 Roy Street, Seattle, WA 98109
  • Rainier Warehouse: 9AM-4PM, 2901 27th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144