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00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f2b910000KUOW is joining forces with other Seattle media outlets to highlight the homeless crisis in the city and region on Wednesday, June 29, 2017.The effort was modeled after a collaboration by more than 70 San Francisco outlets to focus a day of news attention on the issue and possible solutions.Read more about the Seattle project and check out our coverage below. Follow the city's coverage by using #SeaHomeless.HighlightsThe Jungle: an ongoing coverage project going into the notorious homeless encampment under Interstate 5.Ask Seattle's Homeless Community: KUOW is launching a Facebook group where anyone may ask a question about homelessness, but only people who have experienced it may answer. This was inspired by a recent event KUOW co-presented with Seattle Public Library and Real Change, where residents of the Jungle answered audience questions. No End In Sight: an award-winning investigative project from KUOW about King County's 10-year plan to end homelessness.

For first Bellevue men's shelter, debate over location

KUOW | By Paige Browning

Published June 5, 2017 at 10:26 AM AKDT

Two locations are being considered for the homeless men's shelter. One of them is the Eastgate Public Health Center (top right). — The Eastgate Public Health Center, top right, could be the site for a new men's shelter. It's located near I-90 and the Eastgate Park & Ride.

Bellevue officials could vote Monday night on whether to open a homeless shelter in the Eastgate neighborhood, despite concerns from residents.

Bellevue's City Council already approved opening a permanent men's shelter in the Eastgate Public Health Center. That vote came with a promise to neighbors, though, that the city would still identify and study alternate locations. One of those sites is a few blocks from Bellevue City Hall, while the other alternate is near the Interstate 405/State Route 520 interchange.

The city revealed a comparison chart of the three sites late last week.

Bellevue currently operates seasonal homeless shelters, but not a permanent shelter available to single men. Women and children can find shelter in privately run facilities. King County Councilmember and former Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci has long advocated for the eastside to have a permanent men's shelter.

Balducci: "I would prefer that they pick a site that allows them to move forward as quickly as possible. And that has the best chance of providing the best service that we possibly can. To me that looks like the Eastgate site, but if they can make it work in another site and go just as quickly and provide good wraparound services, then that's fine."

The Bellevue City Council has a few options Monday night. Those are: move forward with an Eastgate men's shelter, consider a different site more seriously, or start the process over.

Some residents of housing developments near Eastgate have complained that a permanent shelter could bring more crime to their neighborhood. More than 3,000 people have signed an online petition by local resident Sid Golestane. The petition claims an Eastgate shelter would increase crime and lower nearby property values. The shelter would be low-barrier, meaning men are not turned away if they struggle with addiction and mental health problems or have a criminal record.

The city says the shelter, as proposed, would have a strict code of conduct. The facility would also include a day center and up to 60 affordable housing units.