On April 1, Compass Housing Alliance’s Hammond House, a 24-hour enhanced emergency shelter for women, moved to a new location on Rainier Avenue South. The shelter will be renamed Jan & Peter’s Place after friend of Compass Housing J. Peter Shapiro and his late wife Jan. Jan & Peter’s Place is a safe and secure shelter for women, in a location that will help them access other services more easily and increase their sense of community, making the transition to housing more stable and sustainable. Jan & Peter’s Place is one of only three 24-hour enhanced shelters for women in Seattle.
“This new and more central location of Jan & Peter’s Place creates community among our women shelter guests by making transportation easier,” said Janet Pope, Compass Housing Alliance CEO. “Additionally, our friends at Pioneer Human Services are located in the top portion of Jan & Peter’s Place, which allows our women shelter guests to access more services like job training and counseling.”
In 2019, Compass Housing Alliance transitioned all our emergency shelters to enhanced 24-hour shelters. Enhanced shelters offer guests access to case management and housing navigation in addition to warm, safe shelter. Enhanced shelter also provides guests who work swing or overnight shifts with the option to access services at a time that’s convenient for them—a resource that’s missing from shelters that are open at night only.
“We’re excited for the move from Greenwood to the Atlantic neighborhood,” said John Barbee, Director of Emergency Services. “While the Greenwood location is a wonderful residential area, the Atlantic neighborhood is close to the Central and International Districts, providing access to cultural foods and community, and it’s also a building that has additional security features built in, which makes the women who use our shelter feel much safer.”
“Our goal at Compass Housing Alliance is to continue exploring ways to serve our guests and residents more effectively by listening to their needs. We are excited to leverage this space to make a more comfortable and efficient shelter for women.
“We’re looking forward to working with our guests at Jan & Peter’s Place to help them build stability and move toward permanent housing,” Pope said.
To make a contribution to Jan & Peter’s Place in honor of Jan Shapiro, please visit our memorial page.