Safe Harbors

The Safe Harbors homeless management information system is an essential tool in our efforts to end homelessness in Seattle and King County. Safe Harbors provides information that will allow the Committee to End Homelessness in King County and the broader community to:

• understand the workings of the existing homeless services system and the needs of homeless people;



• coordinate systems and funding to efficiently deliver the long-term housing and supportive services that homeless individuals and families need to stabilize their lives, get healthy, find work, and live independently; and



• measure our progress in ending homelessness.

Safe Harbors represents a collaboration between United Way, the Seattle Human Services Department, and King County as primary funders of King County’s system of homeless services. Countywide, this system includes 251 programs and 8,478 beds serving families and individuals (not counting those that serve victims of domestic violence). Of these programs, 63 are City-funded (2,494 beds). All City-funded programs are participating in Safe Harbors.

In late 2009, the Seattle Human Services Department, King County Department of Community and Human Services, and United Way of King County issued a new report on Safe Harbors data from January – December 2008. This report, "Homelessness in King County," provides data from 170 publicly funded emergency shelter and transitional housing programs.

In 2009, $930,000 is allocated to Safe Harbors, including $100,000 of City of Seattle funds with the balance from county levy funds and McKinney-Vento funds.

Information

For more information about Safe Harbors, visit the Safe Harbors web site.