Compass Health breaks ground on supportive housing project in Everett

EVERETT, Wash. -- Construction is underway on a new facility in Everett to help get people off the streets and into homes.

Compass Health broke ground yesterday on the first of three phases to redevelop its Broadway campus in downtown Everett into permanent supportive housing.

The $26 million project is part of an effort to fight regional homelessness by combining housing with behavioral health and medical care.

"A lot of those we serve not only have complex mental health issues, facing challenges from addiction, but they also face complex medical challenges and oftentimes can't access care," said Tom Sebastian, President and CEO of Compass Health. "So our goal here on this property is to bring all that forward and treat the whole person in a way that's much more effective than whats happened in the past."

Compass Health says the project will double its housing capacity in Snohomish County. It's slated to open sometime next spring.