• In partnership with local community providers, Bellevue supports a range of services, facilities, policies and enforcement, including:

    • Services to prevent homelessness – providing for basic needs, emergency financial assistance, counseling and treatment programs, medical care, employment opportunities, and affordable housing.
    • Services for individuals experiencing homelessness – direct outreach led by the city’s homelessness outreach program, in collaboration with Bellevue Fire Cares and the Community Crisis Assistance Team (CCAT); funding for mental health resources, job retraining programs, housing assistance and addiction treatment and counseling, etc.
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    • Facilities for community members experiencing homeless – includes day centers, shelters and other facilities where community members can access the support they need to transition out of homelessness. Local service agencies operate shelters on the Eastside.
    • Policies
      • Shelters - A land use code amendment regarding homeless services uses, adopted in 2018, ensures a clear and consistent process for siting shelters in Bellevue, with involvement from residents in the area.
      • Temporary Encampments – Land Use Code Part 20.30U provides provisions for temporary encampments hosted by religious organizations. The code accommodates religious exercise, while protecting public health and safety through limitations on the number of temporary encampment residents, application and use requirements, provisions for sanitation, and limits on stay, duration and frequency.
      • Comprehensive Plan - The city's Comprehensive Plan calls for city support for shelters and affordable housing, in the goals and policies of the Housing and Human Services chapters.
      • Enforcement – The city seeks to maintain public spaces for their intended use by all community members, while providing proactive outreach to unhoused individuals. Bellevue is committed to respond to activities that don’t comply with city rules and regulations. This includes police and code enforcement response to unauthorized encampments, as well as any criminal activity.