A 24-hour Navigation Center homeless shelter is set to open in Little Saigon next month.
A 24-hour Navigation Center homeless shelter is set to open in Little Saigon next month. ASK

Despite community concerns, the Navigation Center homeless shelter is slotted to open in Little Saigon on July 12, just over a year after Seattle Mayor Ed Murray first announced plans to open a 24-hour facility. Unlike many other city shelters, the new center will provide temporary housing for couples, people with pets, and individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Up to 75 people will be housed together at the shelter.

On Thursday, representatives with the City of Seattle and Downtown Emergency Services Center allowed the community to take a look around the Navigation Center. Here's what the shelter looks like inside:

Navigation Center residents will be greeted by a receptionist in the entrance hall.
Navigation Center residents will be greeted by a receptionist in the entrance hall. ASK

The Navigation Center has nine rooms for its 75 residents. Up to 12 people can share a room. Residents each get an under-bed storage chest to store belongings. Couples can push the beds together so they can sleep next to each other. Additionally, women residents will have the option to have a women-only room, if that makes them most comfortable, said Jason Johnson, deputy director of the citys Human Services Department.
The Navigation Center has nine rooms for its 75 residents. Up to 12 people can share a room. Residents each get an under-bed storage chest to store belongings. Couples can push the beds together so they can sleep next to each other. Additionally, women residents will have the option to have a women-only room, if that makes them most comfortable, said Jason Johnson, deputy director of the city's Human Services Department.

Several single-stall showers are available on both floors of the shelter. Residents also have access to washers and dryers for laundry.
Several single-stall showers are available on both floors of the shelter. Residents also have access to washers and dryers for laundry. ASK

The second floor is home to a resident lounge area and case management offices. Staffers with the Downtown Emergency Services Center will help residents find permanent housing and provide resources for treatment.
The second floor is home to a resident lounge area and case management offices. Staffers with the Downtown Emergency Services Center will help residents find permanent housing and provide resources for treatment. ASK

Community members hear opening remarks from Daniel Malone, executive director of the Downtown Emergency Services Center, in what will serve as the shelters cafeteria.
Daniel Malone, executive director of the Downtown Emergency Services Center, greets visitors in what will serve as the shelter's dining area. ASK

The kitchen was already stocked with coffee. Residents will be served three group meals per day and they can freely pick up snacks, drinks, and leftovers as they please.
The kitchen was already stocked with coffee. Residents will be served three group meals per day and they can freely pick up snacks, drinks, and leftovers as they please. ASK