Health and Housing Combined for Chronically Homeless in Seattle

A new permanent supportive housing development in Seattle is providing more than homes to address the growing chronic homelessness issue. It’s also recognizing the significant health conditions of this population.

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William Wright Photography

The Estelle in Seattle by Downtown Emergency Service Center.

William Wright Photography

The Estelle provides stable housing and a trained staff for its … Read More The Estelle provides stable housing and a trained staff for its formerly homeless residents. The building also has a secure front entry and is staffed 24/7 by employees trained to engage and assist residents in achieving housing stability.

William Wright Photography

The project was designed to achieve Washington's Evergreen S… Read More The project was designed to achieve Washington's Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards and includes many green building elements for residents to enjoy. The courtyard features raised planters for residents to grow fruits and vegetables two bio-retention planters, benches, and small trees.

“There is an overall aging of the chronically homeless population that has been happening. Our clients experiencing chronic homelessness are in their early to mid-50s, on average. People who go through that experience of chronic homelessness typically have greatly shortened life expectancy,” says Dan Malone, executive director of Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC). “What that means is that we’re going to see a lot of end-of-life medical issues and complications for the people we serve, even though they are not very old.”

DESC’s The Estelle, which was completed in February, combines 91 units of affordable housing with wraparound supportive services and health care.

A unique partnership between DESC and Harborview Medical Center, the safety net hospital in King County, brings needed quality health care to the site. Fifteen units on the second floor also are dedicated to people exiting the hospital with health-care needs that cannot be managed in conventional residential settings.

“The additional win for us is that all the other tenants of the building have access to that same medical service,” says Malone. “Our regular tenants are older and also need a lot of medical attention, so overall it’s a great arrangement for us.”

Another focus on stabilizing residents’ health is adequate nutrition, and The Estelle offers two daily meals for its residents.

“Providing meals is one way for us to help meet their nutritional needs, but, quite frankly, there is another benefit, which provides the residents a chance to interact with one another and the staff in more informal settings.”

The $24 million development was designed to achieve Washington’s Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards and features a green roof, bio-retention plants and courtyard, energy recovery ventilators, and utility monitoring to track usage and note potential problems before they arise.