The Pearl Warren Building has a new, and somewhat familiar, purpose. It will be the home for the Seattle Navigation Center, a place that will provide basics like showers and a laundry, as well as people who will help them find housing and health care. The name and model comes from San Francisco’s Navigation Center. The familiar purpose for the building comes from its history of providing social services, previously the Native American community.
The site will operate with a $1.67 million dollar budget shared by Operation Sack Lunch and Downtown Emergency Services Center. For perspective, that’s less than the price of several dozen homes currently on the market.
The sad irony is that the Center was supposed to be open, but wasn’t able to find a home for its homeless shelter. Unfortunately, the delay has meant yet another winter without being in operation. Now, at least the site has been selected, but the opening day hasn’t. Fortunately, according to the Seattle PI,
“Murray said the city will set up temporary sites to start providing the same services until the Navigation Center opens.“ - Seattle PI