YouthCare, the Seattle nonprofit dedicated to providing services and emergency shelter to young homeless people and operator of the Orion Center at the base of Denny below Capitol Hill, has been selected by the state to begin feasibility planning for operating a similar navigation center at Broadway and Pine.
YouthCare CEO Melinda Giovengo announced the selection Thursday:
YouthCare is very honored to have been selected by the Office of Homeless Youth for the opportunity to bring transformative services for homeless young people to the corner of Broadway and Pine. Over the next six to nine months, we’ll be focused on exploring the feasibility and design of an education and employment focused Opportunity Center for homeless and unstably housed young people, at this location.
Additionally, we will be collaborating with Capitol Hill Housing to plan for affordable housing units as part of the project. As we work to end youth homelessness, it is essential to provide opportunities for young people to be empowered, gain skills, and achieve their potential. We are excited for this next phase of exploring what is possible. This project is separate from YouthCare’s existing Orion Center, where we will continue to operate a Navigation Center for homeless young people, focused on emergency shelter, meals, clothing, and other critical daily services and supplies. We look forward to being an enthusiastic neighbor on Capitol Hill and supporting the vibrancy of the community.
CHS reported on planning to redevelop Seattle Central’s property at the southeast corner of Broadway and Pine as a new youth homelessness services center and affordable housing project.
In addition to YouthCare arriving at a feasible plan with Capitol Hill Housing for its part of the project, behind the scenes quite a few real estate levers need to be pulled. In November, a memorandum of understanding outlined plans for Sound Transit to swap its property north of Seattle Central for the college’s so-called Atlas property in the 1500 block of Broadway. Sound Transit would then temporarily hold the Atlas property during negotiations with Capitol Hill Housing, ultimately handing it over to the developer for affordable housing.
Washington Housing Trust Fund and a mix of funding sources must also be tapped before the project moves forward.
Rep. Frank Chopp has led the way on bringing the deal together. “We did a tour of the site a while ago and it clearly is an ideal site for it,” Chopp told CHS las year. “If you look at where the homeless youth congregates, it’s in Capitol Hill and the U District.”
