July 18, 2024
Bridge Shelter tiny house village fire: how you can help
A fire tore through the Bridge Shelter tiny house village in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood early Thursday morning, destroying or damaging 25 homes and forcing the evacuation of the entire property site. The fire also spread through an adjacent housing facility, which also had to be evacuated.
KOMO News reported that a King County Metro bus arrived to provide temporary shelter to people at the scene and the American Red Cross followed to provide more aid and help find shelter for those displaced. (Drone photo courtesy of KOMO.)
No one was injured in the blaze, and initial investigations have concluded that it was started accidentally. But the incident has displaced dozens of residents.
The Bridge Shelter is operated by Catholic Community Services (CSS) on land owned by King County. The primary goal of this tiny house village is connecting homeless adults to appropriate permanent housing as quickly as possible, in a dignified, safe and non-judgmental environment.
According to CSS, the Bridge Shelter is committed to operating under all Homeless Best Practices, including Harm-Reduction and Trauma-Informed Care. This low barrier shelter operates from a strict Housing First approach, in which shelter and housing are offered to people experiencing homelessness without preconditions such as sobriety, mental health treatment or service participation requirements.
It provides the basic needs for shelter, hygiene, food and meals, secure and accessible storage and enhanced supportive services and case management. The program allows clients to come and go 24-hours a day and to bring partners, pets and possessions.
How to help
If you would like to support the displaced residents and rebuilding the tiny house village in Interbay, consider making a one-time gift or setting up monthly payroll deduction through the UW Combined Fund Drive to these organizations working to provide for homeless individuals and families:
Catholic Community Services – through Catholic Housing Services, provides a continuum of care for some of the most vulnerable populations, in partnership with local, state and federal government agencies, public funders and private lenders (Western Washington Chapter Charity Code: 1478521).
American Red Cross – shelters, feeds and provides comfort to people affected by disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. (Northwest Region Charity Code: 1481860).
Low Income Housing Institute – owns and manages over 3000 units of affordable housing in 70 properties, including tiny house villages provide warm, secure shelter in a community setting and urban rest stops provide showers and laundry for homeless people (Charity Code: 1478543).
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the damaged community as the Interbay Tiny House Village, a neighboring cluster of tiny houses that is managed by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI).
