East Wenatchee Transitional House Shut Down

The house on South Houston Ave in East Wenatchee that had been used as part of the Department of Corrections' (DOC) transitional housing program has been shut down.

East Wenatchee Community Development Director Lori Barnett says the city informed the owner in February that they were out of compliance with use of the property because rent was being charged on a per-bed basis.

Barnett said, "For all intents and purposes, a per-bed rental is a lodging facility, and lodging facilities are not allowed in a single-family zoning district."

The building also lacked a required internal fire sprinkler system.

Per a letter sent to the City of East Wenatchee, the DOC agreed with the City's request to have the residence removed from its registry of transitional houses. The DOC says if the homeowner does become compliant in the future, they may revisit this matter again.