Wenatchee & East Wenatchee Start Planning Process for Future Low Barrier Housing Location

The city of Wenatchee and city of East Wenatchee are deliberating on the location of the future low barrier housing after both cities moved forward with the sales tax increase to support the shelter and its wraparound services.

A low barrier shelter is meant to provide people facing homelessness with somewhere to sleep. The location could be in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee or multiple low housing barrier shelters.

"Most of the evidence suggests you don't want this in a residential area and you don't want this in your downtown commercial core," said Mayor Frank Kuntz.

The shelter would only provide accommodations for people to sleep, get warm and shower, however will not be a place for individuals to 'hang out' at 24/7. Wraparound services will be offered such as mental health professional or drug and alcohol specialist.

"It'll be akin to a shed you'd buy at Home Depot or Lowe's and they'll be 40 or so of them on one site," said Kuntz. "That site will also have a bathroom facility and a place where we can do coordinated entry. There will also probably have a place they can store their things."

The shelter would only provide accommodations for people to sleep, get warm and shower, however will not be a place for individuals to 'hang out' at 24/7. Wraparound services will be offered such as mental health professional or drug and alcohol specialist.

The 1/10th of 1% sales tax increase will start being collected on July 1. The goal is to open the shelter by late fall 2021.