King County and Urban League give Federal Way timeline for two shelter projects; council presses for local control and details

King County and the Urban League told the Federal Way City Council on March 18 that a Health Through Housing site in Federal Way could open an initial set of rooms this summer and that the county’s Red Lion shelter is on track to bring 56 rooms online by fall.

The update, presented by Kelly Reiter, director of King County Department of Community and Human Services, Francis Nelson of King County facilities management, Jelani Jackson (Health Through Housing initiative manager) and Urban League staff, laid out construction timelines, selection priorities and operational staffing while several council members pressed the county and operator for more local control, costs and neighborhood protections.

“The Crip Note version is that we are looking to open our health through housing building, with rooms opening as early as this summer, as well as our shelter building with rooms opening, as early as this winter,” Reiter told the council. She said the county has been working with Federal Way since 2021 on licensure and permitting and now expects phased openings in 2025.

King County’s facility manager Francis Nelson said the Health Through Housing site is a former extended‑stay hotel undergoing tenant improvements. Nelson said contractors began on‑site work in February after two rounds of procurement; the selected general contractor is Western Ventures. “That contractor is Western Ventures and they've been working on doing the TI ever since,” Nelson said. Nelson and Reiter described the first phase as 16 rooms expected to be available in early summer (likely July–August) and a full‑building occupancy target in the fall for roughly 76–87 units, depending on final interior plans and required community spaces.

Nelson described typical hardening work for Health Through Housing sites—smoke detector protections, lighting upgrades, new flooring and upgraded door and access controls—and said some rooms were removed to create a community room and warming kitchen. He said the project required both land‑use and building permits; the land‑use permit application was submitted in January and issued in July, the building permit was submitted in March and issued in July (year references were to prior project milestones). Nelson said an initial round of bids produced unresponsive offers and a reprocurement delayed construction several months.

For the Red Lion shelter, Nelson said King County acquired the property in September 2021 and completed environmental abatement in early 2022. A pipe burst and water damage later left many rooms unusable; the county now plans to bring 56 rooms online in the fall, arranged as double occupancy (112 residents). Nelson said the building’s total room count may be about 98 but that figure needed follow‑up.

Reiter and county staff described the funding mix as coming from multiple sources. The Health Through Housing project is funded by the county’s Health Through Housing sales tax (created after state legislation, House Bill 1590, and local actions); Red Lion’s work relies on state Commerce grants and other county and federal housing and shelter resources. When asked whether Federal Way must provide ongoing operating funds, county staff said there is no current requirement for the city to fund operations and that the county has budgeted for the initial work, but that long‑term funding stability is a planning consideration.

On selection and referrals, Jelani Jackson explained the county’s operational approach to prioritizing local residents. He described a “rough thirds” approach: roughly one third of units prioritized for Federal Way and South King County residents, one third through the regional referral system (coordinated entry), and one third to fill remaining units with regional referrals if local slots are unfilled. Jackson said at present about 85–86% of Health Through Housing residents meet local‑community preference across the county portfolio. “96% of, folks in health through housing, who have live in health through housing, apartments, they actually maintain their housing,” Jackson said, citing portfolio outcomes.

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle staff described how they will operate the Health Through Housing site. Kiana Tayeski, Urban League director of housing, said the operator will provide 24‑hour staffing and 24‑hour security, onsite case management, behavioral health teams and nursing partnerships. “We'll have 24 hour staffing 24 7. We'll have security 24 7 as well,” Tayeski said. Fuzi Bilal, the Urban League ombudsman assigned to the Federal Way project, said the organization will run community engagement, grievance processes and a program‑level code of conduct. “We're here to be part of the solution,” Bilal said.

Council members repeatedly pushed for clearer, written details. Several asked for the licensure agreement, the operator’s code of conduct, the detailed prioritization steps that define a “tie” to the community, and written budgets for both construction and ongoing operations. Council member Walsh said county presence in Federal Way has felt one‑sided and asked what a true partnership would look like; Reiter acknowledged the county had not been “as present in federal way as I would like us to be” and committed to follow‑up conversations and written materials.

On the Red Lion costs, county staff gave preliminary figures: roughly $2.0 million budgeted for construction/tenant improvements to bring 56 rooms online, with about $500,000 already spent on initial site stabilization (fencing, gates, PTAC replacements). Nelson said an additional approximately $2.0 million could finish the rest of the building; staff said they would follow up with a written cost and operations estimate for the council. The county confirmed the Red Lion operator is Catholic Community Services; the county will hold operator terms and monitor compliance with licensure and program commitments.

Neighbors and council members raised public‑safety and neighborhood impacts, asking about security protocols, how roommate pairings will be handled in doubled rooms, and whether tenants retain renter rights. County and Urban League staff said residents would sign leases or program agreements and a code of conduct; illegal activity remains unlawful and the operator will use progressive interventions (verbal/written warnings, case reviews, advocacy, and removal only when necessary). Urban League staff said they prefer service‑centered responses rather than immediate eviction and described a grievance and care‑review process. Council members asked for the full operator application, staffing plan and the licensure proposal to review and provide feedback.

The council recessed the study session to continue the broader meeting agenda but directed staff to return written materials and to continue the discussion in a follow‑up meeting.

Provenance (first/last excerpts): Topic discussion began in the meeting’s study session introduction about "Health Through Housing" and associated presenters and concluded after the Urban League presentation and council Q&A ending with the mayor closing the study session.