Tacoma Emergency Micro-Shelter 3 is preparing to move from North Orchard Street to a former shelter site in South Tacoma. The city plans to complete the relocation by Nov. 16. The new location is 3860 S. 69th St., near South 69th and Proctor Avenue.
The current site at 602 N. Orchard St. is being prepared for the future development of a cancer care and treatment center. The move will bring the shelter to a location that previously housed another Tacoma Emergency Micro-Shelter, TEMS 4, which operated there from 2021 until June 2024.
The shelter is designed to serve about 60 people in 40 units, with a primary focus on families. Families with children and single women are eligible. The City contracts with the Low Income Housing Institute, or LIHI, to operate the site; the organization screens residents and receives referrals from local service providers and the City’s outreach team.
Residents will continue to have access to 24-hour staffing, case management, showers, restrooms, laundry, food services and other support. The City says preparation at the new site began in October, including electrical work for the shelters, kitchen and hygiene facilities, along with parking.
Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services and Public Works departments are coordinating the move and community outreach. A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the STAR Center, 3873 S. 66th St. The city says it sent notices to nearby residents and businesses.
The city gives a target completion date of Nov. 16 but does not specify the exact day residents will move.
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