In anticipation of the almost 750,000 tourists anticipated for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Seattle is working quickly to place every homeless person in shelters.
Ahead of the June 11 World Cup opener, business executives and nonprofits are stepping up their attempts to get homeless individuals off the streets of Washington State’s Pioneer Square, according to The Seattle Times.
With four shelters, the neighborhood—known for its late 1800s Romanesque Revival buildings and historic status—has developed into a significant hub for Seattle’s homeless population over time. “I like it here,” Larry, who has experienced intermittent homelessness, told Real Change News last year, adding that he is one of many who are drawn to the area. “I could live in Kent or somewhere, but here I can walk to wherever I want to go,” he added.
In addition to additional security and nearby match-related events, Pioneer Square is anticipated to witness large World Cup crowds, with watch parties and fan events adding pressure to an already packed neighborhood near Lumen Field.
A business lobbying group has partnered with a number of nonprofits to transfer all homeless people within a half-mile radius, from Alaskan Way South to Fourth Avenue South.
According to city officials, the decision was made in order to manage one of the biggest events Seattle has ever held while also ensuring public safety.
Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, nonprofits and business executives in Seattle are racing to put every homeless person in a shelter.
It is anticipated that about 750,000 people would attend the significant athletic event at Lumen Field.
The strategy is straightforward: outreach workers and shelter providers concentrate on a single region and seek to establish connections and trust in order to assist every homeless person in entering.
Lisa Daugaard, co-executive director of Purpose Dignity Action, a nonprofit organization, told The Seattle Times, “We do know how to do this.”
Members of Purpose Dignity Action started visiting the historic area at first light last month to chat with unsheltered residents. They eventually compiled a list of forty individuals.
The majority of people have serious mental health or drug use problems, according to the group, and the crisis has been made worse by Seattle’s dearth of shelters that can accommodate those levels of need.
“Everyone we work with has had some sort of experience with the shelter system,” Daugaard told the newspaper. “Additionally, there have been obstacles or it hasn’t worked out for them.
The Salvation Army and the Downtown Emergency Service Center are sharing shelter space this time, providing outreach workers with additional alternatives to accommodate them appropriately.
According to the outlet, 19 of the 40 individuals found in Pioneer Square had already been placed in shelters by Tuesday, and two more had been reunited with relatives in neighboring cities. “If we could do this, we could probably work through any list,” Daugaard continued.
Right now, the group is concentrating on getting homeless individuals off the streets near Pioneer Square, which is anticipated to attract large World Cup crowds.
The majority of people they dealt with had serious mental health or drug use problems, according to Lisa Daugaard, co-executive director of the group Purpose Dignity Action.
People with more severe needs are given private shelter rooms with on-site mental health and addiction treatment facilities, while others are housed in tiny homes with little case management assistance.
A few weeks after meeting with an outreach worker, Michelle Anne Chambers, 55, who had been sleeping in a tent with her elderly dog, just found out she would be moving into a tiny home.
She posed a few queries to me. I spoke with her. Chambers told the newspaper, “And then bam.” “Every one of my prayers is being heard.”
According to Daugaard, she hopes the experiment is successful and demonstrates to city officials that Seattle can successfully address homelessness provided the proper resources are available without undue restrictions.
Daugaard described the endeavor as a “once-in-a-generation” chance, even though the deadline is the eagerly awaited World Cup.
According to the publication, Mayor Katie Wilson promised to provide 1,000 new temporary shelter beds by the end of the year, with an extra target of 500 beds ready for the start of the FIFA games.
Wilson later declared that 175 beds have been added thus far, with a few more anticipated soon, despite the aim’s failure. She also stated that her team is still dedicated to the overall goal.
However, the beds’ intended usage is still unknown. Even though it would cost more, Daugaard and other providers want to create a more service-oriented shelter system that will assist people in achieving stability.
By Tuesday, 19 of the 40 individuals found in Pioneer Square had already been relocated in shelters.
By the end of the year, Mayor Katie Wilson promised to provide 1,000 more temporary shelter beds, with an additional 500 beds to be ready by the beginning of the competition.
Purpose Dignity Action tested the project’s methodology during the pandemic, when “shelter-in-place” directives caused encampments to expand quickly.
Instead than driving individuals out of downtown encampments, the group moved them into shelters. In contrast, whether or whether people have shelter, Seattle usually gives 24 to 72 hours’ warning before clearing encampments or RVs.
Later, a state initiative called Purpose Dignity Action was implemented to address encampments near roads and bridges in a similar manner.
However, such initiatives came to a stop last year, and a corporate lobbying organization called the Downtown Seattle Association has suggested recreating the model—this time with more urgency because of the big athletic event.
Previous initiatives employing a similar strategy, such as Purpose Dignity Action’s downtown work during the pandemic, have previously demonstrated success.
Outreach workers found 428 individuals living in encampments at the time, and 77% of them sought refuge. According to The Seattle Times, the statewide initiative centered on bridges and highways got 80% of people inside.
However, the 40 residents in the Pioneer Square area have achieved rapid success, with over half of them being placed in shelter in a matter of weeks.
Long-term funding is still one of the most important unanswered problems.
Over time, the neighborhood—known for its historic status and late 1800s Romanesque Revival buildings—has developed into a significant center for Seattle’s homeless population.
Daugaard expressed her hope that the project will demonstrate to city officials that Seattle can successfully combat homelessness when the proper resources are available without undue demands.
The outlet claims that although the nonprofit’s downtown work was supported by federal pandemic aid, the Seattle City Council objected to spending $10 million to maintain it.
Washington cut funding from $75 million to $45 million as budgets tightened, stopping new outreach so resources could help those who were already receiving shelter.
Government officials have been pushing homeless people to relocate if they do not take a shelter bed right away in response to mounting concerns about encampments.
According to Daugaard, the shelter capacity needed to make the Pioneer Square project succeed will be the biggest investment in reaching more people.
Funding for the project is now coming from already-existing sources, including some funds that were transferred from previously authorized city contracts with the mayor’s office’s consent.
However, according to the outlet, shelters can cost $45,000 per unit annually with additional legal, housing, medical, and behavioral health services, or almost $90,000 at the highest level of care.
Wilson and her team have stated that they want to build that kind of shelter for the shelter surge, but they haven’t disclosed how many units will have such services or where the extra funds will come from.
In order to free up public space rather than address homelessness, the mayor’s office is currently supporting the Pioneer Square project with shelter space that is often utilized for campsite clearings.
Brian Surratt, the deputy mayor, stated that he would not completely commit to using the model as Seattle’s primary strategy to address the city’s escalating homelessness problem.
Prior to the FIFA games, clearings are still ongoing.
Prior to the FIFA games, those clearings are still ongoing.
According to The Seattle Times, Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt stated that although the city is enthusiastic about the initiative, he would not completely commit to using the model as Seattle’s primary strategy to address the escalating homelessness epidemic.
He told the newspaper, “It’s really just about a mindset and a level of desire and willingness to coordinate.”
