Kitsap Rescue Mission reports shelter moves, services and funding needs at Port Orchard meeting
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Summary
Kitsap Rescue Mission updated the council on operations at the Pacific Building continuous‑stay shelter: move-in timeline, service statistics for 2024–25, behavioral-health integration, pet accommodations and funding shortfalls.
Kitsap Rescue Mission (KRM) representatives told the Port Orchard City Council their continuous-stay emergency shelter at the Pacific Building has been operational since January 29 and that the nonprofit has moved dozens of people into longer‑term housing while providing integrated services, meals and pet care.
Robert Lund, the mission’s executive director, said volunteers helped prepare the building for a January move and that the shelter transitioned from a hotel model to a congregate shelter this year. “In 2024, we provided 132 guests with safe emergency shelter and supportive services — 95 adults, 37 children,” Lund said. He added that KRM “moved 80 shelter guests into longer term and permanent housing” in 2024 and that so far in 2025 it had moved 66 guests into longer-term housing.
KRM said it has integrated on-site behavioral health and substance‑use counselors and now serves pets, noting “we do have up to 20 pets” and currently had 16 during the presentation. The mission also reported significant meal service numbers: more than 33,000 meals served in 2024 and 15,900 meals so far in 2025.
On funding, KRM staff described a mix of revenue: a consolidated housing grant from Kitsap County and a behavioral‑health one‑tenth of 1% grant that partially cover operations; Peninsula Community Health provides on-site medical and dental clinics; and the rescue mission covers roughly $50,000 a month from private donations and appeals. KRM said it has lost some ARPA funding and that annual operations have declined from about $1.2 million to about $600,000.
Council members asked about capacity and transitions. KRM said maximum capacity is 75 (operationally about 68 accounting for turnover), that average length of stay varies (this month’s average was 59 days) and that recent family moves included a family of nine. KRM also identified immediate needs including funding, volunteers and supplies such as adult dependables, baby diapers and laundry soap.
Why it matters: The shelter serves people experiencing homelessness from across Kitsap County and officials told the council the continuous‑stay model reduced emergency calls and arrests compared with prior models. KRM said it maintains a neighborhood council and that it had not received complaints from neighbors since opening.
Next steps: Council members thanked the shelter staff and volunteers and discussed continuing communications between the mission, the city and neighboring businesses about operations and services.
