Volunteers have begun work preparing the City Light lot at 8030 15th Ave. NW for the city’s first sanctioned homeless camp for women.

The Whittier Heights Village for Women will feature 20 tiny houses operated by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), the same group that has organized tiny houses for the Nickelsville sites. The existing City Light building on the lot will be refurbished as a community space with a kitchen, bathrooms, showers and laundry.

When the camp opens in May, LIHI staff will be on site around the clock “to supervise and keep the village clean, organized and safe,” according to the nonprofit group. LIHI will also provide a case manager to work with camp residents with the goal to transition them into permanent housing.

The site is bordered by Homestreet Bank to the north and Duo apartments to the south. The old Pancake House restaurant (soon to become Crown Hill Broiler) is across the street to the west. The only entrance to the camp will be on 15th Ave., not the alleyway behind it, which backs up to a residential area to the east.

LIHI plans to open the camp on Mother’s Day, May 13th. If you’re interested in helping put the camp together, contact LIHI via this page.

Ballard’s other sanctioned homeless camp, Nickelsville, moved to Northlake last month.

(Our thanks to Tyrel for the tip.)