Transform Yakima Together settles on location for emergency winter weather shelter

A local religious group has settled on a location — one it previously wasn’t considering — for its temporary winter homeless shelter.

Transform Yakima Together’s shelter is planned at 1702 Englewood Ave. in northwest Yakima, near the Yakima County Juvenile Court.

Owners of the building had been considering making it available to Transform Yakima before the group’s director, Andy Ferguson, called. That was a welcome change from the pushback Transform Yakima experienced when considering locations on South First Street and East Washington Avenue.

With about two weeks left before the shelter would open, the group worked quickly to meet safety standards, Ferguson said.

“We had to have some emergency board meetings and fire safety inspections,” he said. “It’s been a very busy week, but everything is clear. The benefit of this location is, if we needed to, we could actually handle considerably more people.”

Ferguson didn’t have an exact number of how many the shelter could house but said it was more than the 60 planned. Before the shelter opens Nov. 15, the building needs to be cleaned and fire safety equipment upgraded, among other improvements, Ferguson said.

The facility is expected to stay open until March 15. Transform Yakima also operates Camp Hope, a temporary homeless shelter on East Nob Hill Boulevard near the former Kmart. The camp is expected to close mid-November.

• For information about how to volunteer with or donate to the group, contact Ferguson at 509-673-2100 or visit www.camphopeyakima.com.