Snohomish County Council approves New Start Centers’ contracts

Published 1:30 am Thursday, January 29, 2026

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council approved on Wednesday operating contracts for the county’s emergency housing centers in the works since 2022.

The council members voted unanimously to authorize Executive Dave Somers to execute the contracts for the repurposed motels, dubbed the “New Start Centers,” in Everett and Edmonds.

The Salvation Army will operate the Days Inn turned Everett New Start Center. Once the contract is executed, the organization will receive $2,684,610 from the affordable housing and behavioral health sales tax and $781,012 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the American Rescue Plan.

The YWCA will operate the America’s Best Value Inn remodeled into the Edmonds New Start Center. As per the contract, the organization will receive $2,122,669 from the affordable housing sales tax and $1,884,294 of American Rescue Plan funds.

The money will be used to pay for a client services manager, case managers, life coaches and a health care navigator, showing that the centers will be more than a combined 150 temporary housing units, but a series of services to help individuals get a new start.

The agreements last until Dec. 31 with possible extensions up to four years.

The county purchased the buildings in 2022. Multiple delays, including asbestos and meth contamination cleanup, pushed the projects into 2026.

“It’s been longer than expected — cost a little more than expected. We haven’t been able to help anybody yet, so I really want to see this come to fruition,” County Council member Jared Mead said in an interview after the vote. “I’m glad that we voted; we did it, and we can start seeing the investment pay off.”

Under the contracts, the council will receive the data it needs to determine where the centers are succeeding or failing, Mead said.

“We’re going to have very specific reporting requirements. We’re going to be paying attention to what’s going on here,” he said.

Council member Megan Dunn proposed the council receive the data so members can better understand any artificial barriers that are keeping people from progressing through the system, she said during the meeting.

Council member Sam Low agreed.

“As we get statistics in over the remainder of this year, and obviously we can make some changes going forward as we renew the contract,” he said during the meeting.

Now that the contracts are approved, it is up to the providers to start operations, Mead said in the interview.

“Once the doors are ready to be opened, they can open the doors,” he said. “The providers probably have to make some final adjustments and tweaks, but they’ve told us that it’s soon.”

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-399-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay