The Kerner-Scott House, located in Seattle, Washington, is a four-story, 40-unit building that is home to a mixed population of homeless individuals. It offers a safe haven for those with mental illness as well as home to individuals in substance abuse recovery. Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), the developer, won the first-place award for Supportive Housing in the 2005 MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing. The Center has been offering innovative, effective and meaningful solutions to homelessness since 1979.

Through housing and intensive services, Downtown Emergency Service Center addresses the spectrum of needs faced by homeless individuals, whether mental illness, substance abuse, physical disabilities or other significant challenges. The continuum of care offered at Kerner-Scott affords residents the comfort and safety they need to move from homelessness to independent living. This case study describes the project and its accomplishments.