Ellensburg council discontinues year‑round "sleep center" siting, will focus on seasonal cold‑weather shelter

The Ellensburg City Council voted to discontinue the siting process for a proposed year‑round emergency “sleep center” and directed staff to focus on establishing seasonal cold‑weather shelter sites and coordinated services with Kittitas County and community partners.

City staff and council members said costs to acquire, develop and operate a year‑round center had escalated beyond earlier estimates, feasibility work contained errors that reduced confidence in initial projections, and recent point‑in‑time census data showed a reduction in the local unsheltered population. The council said those developments, combined with limited state funding certainty, made a year‑round municipal sleep center unsustainable at this time.

Council and staff emphasized the decision is not an end to homeless services. They noted an existing, lower‑cost partnership option with a local church and the county’s recent investments in behavioral-health and housing services. Staff said a seasonal cold‑weather shelter the city and county ran last year was successful and cost‑effective because of volunteer support and shared costs.

Public commenters voiced both support for an emergency shelter and opposition to a year‑round model. Some speakers urged the council not to abandon shelter planning; others recommended different approaches — existing county facilities, repurposed spaces, or increased use of faith‑based partners. After discussion, the motion to stop the sleep‑center siting process and pursue seasonal shelter models passed by voice vote.