Compass Housing Alliance is committed to serving our heroes experiencing housing instability, touching the lives of over 1,600 Veterans every year.
Our Shoreline Veterans Center and Renton Veterans Center have provided transitional housing and support services specifically for Veterans and their families.
The goal of our transitional housing programs is to help Veteran residents become housing-ready by providing housing for up to 24 months, one-on-one case management, employment, and tech skills training, and more. After their transitional term was complete, residents would move into their own apartment and return for ongoing support and community connections. As a housing first agency, we believe safe housing is the first step to building stability. We know that when formerly homeless individuals and families are offered permanent housing, they remain more stable in the long run. We also know community is incredibly important element of our Veterans programs.
We asked ourselves why we were uprooting our residents after 24 months of stability and putting their positive progress at risk.
In response, we made a bold to move to change our Veterans Centers from transitional to permanent housing programs. This new approach to includes the same case management support as the previous transitional living programs, but with the added steadiness and reliability of permanent housing. In providing stability, growth, and community without the worry of having to transition, we are providing a better foundation of support for our Veterans and their families. On Veterans Day weekend, our Veterans programs got a special boost from some community leaders.
- View a video by MBAKS
The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties gathered a small army of volunteers on November 10 to refresh our Shoreline program with fresh paint throughout the building. The project spanned two days with hundreds of volunteers from construction companies throughout the region. The specially-selected paint colors play a part in work with Veterans. “We work to undo the impacts of PTSD and homelessness for our Veterans and these new paint colors will have a positive impact,” said Teena Ellison, Director of Housing Services.
On November 13, The Mission Continues, a nonprofit that deploys Veterans to help others in their community, the Seattle Seahawks, and Lyft all banded together for a huge day-long volunteer event. They painted most of the common areas of the building. It was a ton of hard work—but the end results were well worth it. Seahawks mascot Blitz stopped by to supervise the work and take photos with volunteers.
While volunteers were painting, the Seattle Seahawks were creating a very special surprise for the kids and teens that live at the Renton Veterans Center with their families: a new media room with a TV and video games to go along with the musical instruments there for youth. They also have a newly refreshed study area so they can study with their peers! Thanks to these community leaders, Veterans Day not only celebrated the service our Veterans, it gifted pride of place and new beginnings to all our residents. This is a kindness we will never forget!
To learn more about volunteering, contact Jennifer Marquette at volunteer@compasshousingalliance.org or 206-719-9137. To make a donation to support our work with Veterans, visit our donation page.