Modular housing, which is built offsite in segments before being assembled onsite, is gaining popularity as an affordable and sustainable solution to private homes. But prefabricated elements can also be used in larger buildings—something King County is harnessing for three housing and shelter projects in the Seattle area.

As part of a pilot program, the county entered a $4.5 million contract with local modular homebuilder Whitley Evergreen—working with modular designer Emmons Modular and local architecture cooperative Third Place—to build three projects serving those exiting homelessness: two projects with longer-term housing and one dorm-style, 24-hour, lower-barrier shelter. The State of Washington contributed $1.5 million to the project.

The shelter, which will likely be eventually assembled on County-owned land on Elliott Avenue in Seattle, will be run by Catholic Community Services and is aimed at people with behavioral health needs, as well as a more general population of people exiting homelessness. It will have a “campus-like layout,” with nine dorms with eight beds each and individual storage lockers surrounding a common courtyard. Common buildings will be connected by walkways. Medical facilities, laundry, a full kitchen, and 24-hour case management will be located onsite.

The 24/7 shelter will be open to couples and pets. A city survey found that wanting to stay with your people is a common barrier to the shelter system. 24 percent of people who responded to the city’s 2017 needs assessment said they weren’t in a shelter because they wanted to stay with their partner; 13.3 percent cited wanting to stay with friends. 20 percent said they weren’t in a shelter because they couldn’t bring a pet.

That project is scheduled to be completed by August 2019, and will cost $4.5 million in King County funding. The buildings will be placed in a way that allows the shelter to change locations.

The longer-term homes will be micro-units. One will be operated by Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC), with 20 units at a to-be-determined location. Units will go, generally, to people needing affordable housing, with priority to people with behavioral health needs and those exiting homelessness. Each home will include a main living and sleeping area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a closet. 24-hour case management will be provided onsite.

The $3 million in project funding comes from King County, and the facility will be moveable if necessary. Like the shelter, it’s scheduled for completion in August 2019.

The other longer-term housing project, a partnership with the City of Shoreline that has been in the works for a little while now, will include 80 to 100 housing units owned and operated by service provider Community Psychiatric Clinic with support from Catholic Housing Services at 198th and Aurora. The service providers were selected after a request-for-qualifications process.

While the DESC housing will be designed to be moveable, the Shoreline project will be built on a concrete foundation. The timeline is a little looser on this one—the Shoreline public outreach and design process will start next month.

“Amidst our affordable housing crisis, modular housing represents an innovative, cost effective and timely solution,” said King County Councilor Jeanne Kohl-Wells in a statement. “Modular housing has unique challenges but other regions have already seen success.”

Vancouver, BC is also experimenting with modular housing to tackle its homelessness crisis, and New York City is currently exploring its options.