-Updated on February 17: The shelter will be open through Saturday February 19th.

Beginning January 15, 2011, the City of Redmond will host an overnight winter shelter at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 NE 80th Street. The shelter will open every night through February 15.

The winter shelter is in the Community Center auditorium and accommodates up to 50 adults. It opens at 8:30pm and closes each morning at 7:30am. The winter shelter is staffed by trained, experienced staff from Congregations for the Homeless (for men) and Sophia Way Shelter (for women). Staff is on site every night in addition to at least one trained volunteer.

The City of Redmond has long been a participant in the Eastside Homelessness Advisory Council and the King County Committee to End Homelessness. For the last two winters, the City has also been a contributing partner in the Eastside Severe Weather Shelter operated at the Crossroads Community Center. This shelter was activated when overnight temperatures were forecast to be 32 degrees or lower. Unfortunately, the intermittent operations made it challenging for homeless individuals to know whether or not the shelter was open on any given night.

In response, the shelter at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse will be open every night through February 15th (with some additional nights beyond February 15 possible depending on weather and available resources). By providing this resource, the City is helping ensure the health and safety of all of its residents.

For additional information, contact Colleen Kelly, Human Services Manager at 425-556-2423 or ckelly@redmond.gov .