Nonprofits, governments and tribal entities in Washington could pick up free transitional shelter units sitting in a Snohomish County warehouse, if they can prove they have the land and experience to operate them.

The county announced Wednesday, Aug. 19, that it has 20 Pallet PBC shelters available immediately to eligible organizations that complete a short online application by Friday, Sept. 18. The 64-square-foot units were purchased in 2023, are lightly used and currently stored indoors, disassembled and ready for transport.

Who qualifies

Applicants must be a nonprofit, government agency or tribal entity in Washington State. They must demonstrate experience operating shelters and have access to property with flat land, electricity and restroom facilities.

The application form is available at snohomishcountywa.gov/5701/Planning-and-Evaluation. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Everett's $3 million pallet investment

The offer lands in a county where Everett has become the most active user of Pallet shelters. The city has spent more than $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars on pallet shelter projects across three sites, according to city records.

Those sites include 40 units at Everett Gospel Mission on Smith Avenue, eight units at Faith Lutheran Church's Madison Family Shelter and 20 units at a Volunteers of America Western Washington village on Sievers Deucey Boulevard.

The newest site, the VOAWW village, opened April 27 with capacity for 20 women and their children. That village uses larger 100-square-foot heated units, a different Pallet model than the 64-square-foot surplus shelters the county is now offering.

The city's total capital and grant operational expenses for the VOAWW shelter reached $2.7 million as of the end of 2025, city spokeswoman Simone Tarver told the Snohomish County Tribune. The city gave VOAWW $1.6 million in grant money to operate the shelter, and Snohomish County contributed $250,000.

At the April 27 ribbon-cutting for the VOAWW village, Mayor Cassie Franklin described Everett's overall shelter strategy as "our balanced approach, combining compassion and accountability with real solutions."

What's not yet clear

The county has not explained why the 2023-purchased shelters were never deployed or what project they were originally intended for. No timeline has been disclosed for notifying successful applicants or transferring the units. It is also unclear whether any Everett-area organization, including VOAWW or the city itself, plans to apply.

Each Pallet 64 unit can house two people and can be assembled in under an hour. All 20 units placed would add 40 shelter beds somewhere in Washington.

Applications close Sept. 18.