PorchLight (formerly Congregations for the Homeless) operates a 100-bed men's shelter in Eastgate, at 13668 SE Eastgate Way in Bellevue. Information about how to get space there or at other area shelters is available at Shelters and Safe Parking.
Background
Construction of the shelter began in January 2022 and was completed in June 2023, immediately welcoming 100 men. PorchLight offers shelter and supportive services, and is in high demand most days of the year.
In January 2021, PorchLight applied for a conditional use permit to build a permanent men's shelter in Eastgate on property acquired from King County at 13620 SE Eastgate Way. PorchLight partnered with Inland Group, Horizon Housing Alliance and Plymouth Housing to develop the nine-acre parcel into the Eastgate Housing campus, featuring permanent supportive housing and workforce housing as well as a shelter and day center.
On July 12, 2021, the City Council approved $3.6 million in supplemental funding for the development of the shelter.
Community meetings provided an open dialogue between the applicant, the operator and surrounding property owners. After a public hearing, Bellevue's Hearing Examiner approved the conditional use permit for the project on Nov. 19, 2021.
History
The 2020-2023 City Council Vision directed the city to “work toward an Eastside solution for a permanent location for a men’s winter homeless shelter.” This priority echoed the council’s 2014 Diversity Advantage Plan, which includes an action item for “supporting the establishment of a year-round homeless shelter on the Eastside.”
To that end, the city hosted a men's shelter in interim locations from 2008 to 2023. The shelter operated only in the winter before shifting to a year-round model in 2019. A temporary 100-bed facility at Lincoln Center in Wilburton served as the shelter location until July of 2023, when the facility moved to its permanent home in Eastgate.
Recognizing the challenges of a temporary shelter, the City Council set a goal to establish the shelter at a permanent location. In 2018, after considerable public input, the city adopted a land use code amendment for homeless shelters that established a path for nonprofit and faith-based organizations seeking to establish shelters in Bellevue. In keeping with the code, a Good Neighbor Agreement Advisory Committee that includes residents who live within a mile of any proposed shelter ensures communication between the community and homeless services providers.