The Health Through Housing (HTH) Initiative is an innovative approach that accelerates our region’s response to chronic homelessness.

King County is partnering with host cities to create up to 1,600 units of emergency housing and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness.

Through innovative partnerships and close collaboration with city governments, service providers, and local communities, HTH acquires former hotels and other existing buildings and converts them into apartments that are dignified, affordable, and service enriched. HTH offers two types of housing, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Emergency Housing (EH), both of which feature 24/7 staffing and supports such as:

• Case management
• Employment navigation
• Transportation access
• Connection to physical and behavioral health services

Since its inception, King County has worked with local leaders to identify suitable properties and conduct project planning and community engagement together.

Building status

• Don’s Place in Auburn opened December 2022 and is finishing building upgrades. Resident move-ins will resume this fall. Compass Housing Alliance is the housing operator.
• Federal Way is working with King County on securing a general contractor to complete building updates. Once design, required agreements, and construction is complete, King County and the City of Federal Way will be able to begin building operations. Urban League was selected as the housing operator in 2022.
• Kirkland will be completing procurement to identify a housing operator in the coming months. 
• Redmond will open in Winter 2024 after ramping down its temporary use for the refugee resettlement project. The Salvation Army was selected as operator in September 2023. Read frequently asked questions about the Redmond site.
• Sidney Wilson House in Renton has 107 units and is at capacity. Catholic Community Services (CCS) is the housing operator. 
• The Bob G in Queen Anne (Seattle) is temporarily closed in order to start renovation procedures. All current residents were relocated. King County has contracted for thorough review of the building to determine scope of work to convert the building into permanent supportive housing.
• The Mary Pilgrim Inn in Bitter Lake (Seattle) has 94 units and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.
• The Gateway in honor of Tenaya Wright in Haller Lake (Seattle) has 124 units and is at capacity. DESC is the housing operator.
• Salmonberry Lofts in honor of Peter Joe in Pioneer Square (Seattle) opened in January 2023 and has 76 units. Building modifications are currently taking place. Chief Seattle Club is the housing operator.
• The Argyle in Downtown Seattle is a small, 10-unit mixed-use building owned by King County.  Given its unique size and structure, the County is exploring appropriate uses for the site.
• Capitol Hill in Seattle expects to welcome people in 2024. Lavender Rights Project and Chief Seattle Club are joint operators for the building.

How HTH is funded

The Health Through Housing initiative, first announced by Executive Constantine in 2020, receives one tenth of a cent (.1%) of sales tax revenue for the purchase and operation of hotels and other single room settings for use as Emergency and Permanent Supportive Housing for people experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness in King County.

The sales tax was made possible by the passage of HB 1590 during the 2019-2020 Washington State legislative session. The King County Council adopted the initiative by ordinance in 2021 and implementation officially began in 2022.

Learn more by reading our Frequently Asked Questions updated 4-21-2023.