Westside Neighbors Shelter

08/26/2026

Westside Neighbors Shelter is in transition at this time, and the board wishes to clarify its current status.

The shelter board, American Legion Hall, and case management teams are working hard to coordinate and formalize West Seattle's only access to resources and case management for people without housing. The board is revamping programming and leadership roles, and will reach out to community members when we have solidified our plan for our new direction.

Even with the shelter pause, case management through Anything Helps and REACH has continued to help people served by the shelter and others who frequent the area. Anything Helps provides individualized support for health and employment needs through Medicaid's Foundational Community Support program, and REACH helps connect people to referrals and housing options. The roughly 60 people we have been serving receive weekly access to resources, and many have been connected to housing and shelter options, or reconnected with family.

We look forward to a stronger, more transparent relationship with the neighborhood and business community when the shelter re-opens.

07/12/2026

Keith Hughes has an update on the schedule for reopening Westside Neighbors Shelter:

"I have had several people stop by the Hall in the last week or so to tell me that they had heard that the Westside Neighbors Shelter had closed and that the building was being sold. I'll try to add clarity to the current situation.

"Westside Neighbors Shelter was started in the winter of 2018/19 as a Cold Weather Emergency Shelter. We opened in November, when the weather prediction was for overnight temps to be consistently below 40 F. We remained open through the winter and early spring until the weather prediction was for overnight temps to be consistently above 40 degrees, which in 2019 was the first week of April. We operated in that manner through the winter of 2024.

"When spring came in 2025, for lots of good reasons, we decided to try keeping the Morning Warm Up Center (7 am till 11 am with breakfast) open all year. It was a noble attempt, but the level of volunteers and the level of private contributions did not keep up with expenses of running every day. By December we were out of funds and had to make a strong plea to the community for funds to keep the Shelter open through the winter.

"Many individuals and groups responded to the need and made that possible. As the end of winter approached, the Board made the hard decision that, due to financial and staffing constraints, we had to return to the Cold Weather Emergency Shelter only.

"So, yes, the Shelter is closed right now, as it is summer. We have every intent to reopen when winter comes back around. We still have lots of concerns about to both the financial and procedural guidelines under which the Shelter will reopen, and we are working on those issues during this downtime."

06/10/2026

Yesterday, Keith Hughes gave a statement regarding the past, present, and future situation of Westside Neighbors Shelter:

"After seven years of service to the South West community, sharing our love made tangible through the Morning Warm-Up Center and the Winter Cold Weather Shelter, Westside Neighbors Network has made the difficult decision to temporarily close both operations and enter into a time of discernment, strategic planning, and administrative reorganization.

"Through these past years we have funded the operations with an all-volunteer staff, and donations from individuals and organizations in the community. However, with the political and socio-economic time creating an ever increasing need, this model is no longer sustainable.

"We have long sought sustainable funding through government and non-government partners and have not found it there – and so we are stepping back to do the careful work of building something lasting: a model rooted in the community we serve.

"We don’t yet know the shape of what’s coming. But we know this: the next chapter must be written by us, supported by us, and embodied by us. The relationships, the trust, the deep roots of care – that social capital is real, and it is not going anywhere.

"We are deeply grateful for every resource, every relationship, and every act of kindness and faithfulness that has carried us here.... We know that you are with us in the knowledge that West Seattle deserves a welcoming place where neighbors can rest and be restored. That conviction has not wavered.

"The work of designing our new future has begun, and though we can’t give you a time line at this point, we will be back and we will keep in touch as we move through this process.

"Continue to take care of one another, West Seattle."

04/03/2026

LATEST NEWS: We've moved up our scheduled closure from April 15. The Warm Up Center at the Legion Hall is now closed completely for several weeks of facility improvements such as bathroom remodeling, kitchen cleaning, door lock changes, and shelter policy development. During this time, no breakfast or other services will be available, and the building will be closed to the public.

The Warm Up Center will re-open for breakfast, showers, assistance with forms and housing, and clothing help on a date to be announced soon.

Our Amazon wish list is still active for donations, which will be needed when the Warm Up Center re-opens.

Thank you to our caring community for all the help we received this winter. See you in a few weeks!

03/29/2026

We’ve recently swapped our temperamental washer/dryer for these two new beauties. It makes washing all those shower and kitchen towels so much easier!

If you’d like to help at the shelter by putting these machines to use, let us know! We have a volunteer laundry shift every morning. See our website at www.westsideneighborsshelter.org to learn more.

03/24/2026

Spring is here, which means the cold-weather overnight emergency shelter is about to close for the 2025-26 season. And there are some big changes in the works!

--The last night for dinner and overnight stays at Westside Neighbors Shelter is March 31. The cots will be dismantled and stored until next winter. After March 31, the shelter will be open only for Warm Up Center from 7 to 11 am.

--The Warm Up Center will continue each day until April 15. At that time, the shelter will close completely for several weeks of facility improvements such as bathroom remodeling, kitchen cleaning, door lock changes, and shelter policy development. No services will be provided during this temporary closure.

--The Warm Up Center will re-open for breakfast, showers, assistance with forms and housing, and clothing help, on a date to be announced soon.

--Dinner Church will continue at the Legion Hall Fridays at 5 pm throughout the year (except during the operational shutdown period).

Thank you to all the volunteers who have worked during the cold-weather season to provide evening meals for our clients!

03/12/2026

Your clothing donations are helping so much! Each morning we give out socks, hats, and other necessary items to people who visit our warmup shelter after spending the night outside.

Our clothing storage room is TINY, so we appreciate getting the items our clients need the most right now: warm, sturdy outdoor clothing for adults. Most requested: heavy jackets, sweatpants, underwear (both men's and women's), men's jeans, sturdy shoes, long socks, winter gloves. Also requested: toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Laurie, Lisa, and Laurie had a great time doing laundry, sorting donations, and handing out clothing this week! If you'd like to join in, please visit https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/westside-neighbors-shelter/how-to-volunteer/

02/19/2026

FInd updates on winter weather safety and nightly winter seasonal shelter in our area on King County Regional Homelessness Authority's Severe Weather Response page.

Find overnight and daytime shelter information for severe weather events for Seattle and King County from the Regional Homelessness Authority.

02/13/2026

Westside Neighbors Shelter is a privately owned and volunteer-operated cold-weather shelter hosted in the American Legion Hall in West Seattle. The shelter is open to any adult in need of shelter, regardless of gender or veteran status.

All clients and visitors to the shelter are required to follow these basic rules, which are posted at several locations inside and outside the Legion Hall. Refusal to comply with the rules means being trespassed from the property.

Donations of food and warm clothing are needed throughout the area. You can drop off donations for WSNS at the American Legion Hall, 3620 SW Alaska St, or send them via our Amazon wish list (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2M8BX6UMZBG4H?ref_=wl_share)

01/26/2026

Today is Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, one of the largest annual lobby days at the state capitol in Olympia! It's hosted by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund, and has strong presence and leadership from people directly impacted by housing injustice, including through the Resident Action Project. Advocates have gathered from all over Washington today to meet in person with their lawmakers and rally for housing justice.

Sign up for WLIHA action alerts, and they'll keep you up to date on how you can be an advocate for affordable homes and an end to homelessness in Washington: https://secure.everyaction.com/-gZPY8k0qkaHQyrUqmpC5g2