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Auburn describes outreach, shelter and housing moves as part of homelessness response
Summary
City human-services officials described outreach operations, a city-run shelter and partnerships providing treatment, case management and temporary housing; staff said they housed 205 people in 2024 and made hundreds of outreach contacts.
City of Auburn human-services staff outlined an outreach-first approach to homelessness that combines on‑the‑ground contact, shelter capacity and referrals to treatment and supportive housing.
Kent Hay, human‑services director, described a five‑person outreach team that goes to encampments, RVs and other locations to offer services, sign people up for housing resources and, when necessary, enforce the city's camping ordinance. "We have a camping ordinance in the city of Auburn. So there is no camping in the city of Auburn," Hay said, explaining that outreach staff prioritize offers of services before escalating to notices or police action.
Hay said the city operates a facility on Auburn Way North (the former Sports Page property) that houses a food bank, a night shelter, a day shelter, a safe‑parking program, community court for low‑level offenses and a weekly resource center. City staff work with partner agencies, including HealthPoint (for wound care and medication-assisted treatment) and a recovery partner leasing space for a recovery café and treatment referrals.
Hay described housing and treatment pathways funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and other sources. He said the city partnered with a community agency to provide clean‑and‑sober housing (the city covers housing costs for up to a year for people who complete inpatient treatment), and that in 2024 the city helped house 205 people. The outreach team reported 472 contacts during the January–December reporting window included in the presentation.
Hay said the city nominates residents daily for available King County housing lists and prioritizes Auburn residents where possible; he noted supportive-housing conversions such as Don’s Place (a formerly commercial hotel now used for supportive housing) include a high share of Auburn residents. For people unwilling to accept services, Hay said the city issues time‑to‑move notices and, when necessary, works with police to address trespass or other violations.
The human‑services presentation also covered use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for a housing‑repair program (targeting primarily seniors), and the Human Services Committee's role in selecting contracted providers for local services.
City staff said outreach includes on‑site casework—using mobile tools to register people into the regional Homeless Management Information System and to obtain IDs—and close partnerships with county and regional resources, but emphasized the work requires ongoing regional cooperation and housing supply to sustain progress.
