Urban Rest Stop
Urban Rest Stop is a Seattle-based nonprofit program of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) that operates two free hygiene facilities providing showers, laundry, restrooms, and toiletries to unsheltered and employed homeless individuals and families, funded primarily by City of Seattle grants and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Urban Rest Stop does
Urban Rest Stop is a Seattle-based nonprofit hygiene service program of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), a 501(c)(3) organization, that provides free showers, laundry, restrooms, and basic toiletries to unsheltered individuals and families. Founded in 1999 and opened in 2000 at the Julie Apartments on Ninth Avenue, it operates two physical facilities — the Downtown Urban Rest Stop (1924 Ninth Avenue) and the Ballard Urban Rest Stop (2014B NW 57th St) — each equipped with approximately five individual shower rooms (including ADA-accessible units), laundry machines, and full restrooms. A third U-District location previously served 1,700 unique individuals annually but was discontinued following 2017 City of Seattle funding cuts.
The program is differentiated operationally by extended evening hours (open until 9:30pm) and weekend availability tailored to employed homeless patrons, with up to 60% of usage tied to preparing for work. Services are entirely free to patrons, with allocation rules of one shower per day and one laundry load every other day. A supplementary Urban Rest Stop Health Education Program (URSHEP), run with University of Washington partners, provides periodic health education on-site.
The business model is non-commercial: there are no fees charged to patrons. Operating revenue comes from City of Seattle Human Services Department grants, supplemented by tax-deductible individual and corporate donations administered through LIHI. Volunteer labor underwrites day-to-day service delivery. Initial capital for the founding Downtown facility was assembled from a $2.6 million city contribution and a $250,000 Downtown Seattle Association settlement. The organization has no technology product, app, or proprietary software platform; service delivery is physical, volunteer-supported, and location-bound within Seattle.
Urban Rest Stop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Rest Stop
- Legal name
- Low Income Housing Institute
- Website
- https://urbanreststop.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Urban Rest Stop is a Seattle-based nonprofit program of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) that operates two free hygiene facilities providing showers, laundry, restrooms, and toiletries to unsheltered and employed homeless individuals and families, funded primarily by City of Seattle grants and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Rest Stop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Hygiene Services
- NAICS
- Drycleaning and Laundry Services (8123), Temporary Shelters (624221)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Portable Restroom & Sanitation Rentals (Restrooms, Handwashing Stations) (HSACAFAH)
Keywords
Where Urban Rest Stop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Urban Rest Stop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations: Individual and corporate donations accepted; all donations go directly to supporting patrons of the Urban Rest Stop. Tax-deductible as a program of LIHI, a 501(c)(3) organization.
- Government Funding: Funding from City of Seattle Human Services Department; includes operational costs and specific program funding for each location.
- Volunteer Support: Volunteer-based operations enabling services to be provided at no cost to patrons.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free services for all patrons |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Urban Rest Stop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Rest Stop operates free, walk-in hygiene facilities in Seattle that provide showers, restrooms, laundry services, and basic toiletries to unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Each patron is allotted one shower per day and one load of laundry every other day at no cost, with toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, and soap supplied on site. The organization also offers information and referral services, including housing referrals and health education programming delivered through partnerships.
Product overview
Urban Rest Stop is a non-profit hygiene services organization operating as a program of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). It operates two physical hygiene facilities in Seattle — the Downtown Urban Rest Stop and the Ballard Urban Rest Stop — that provide free showers, restrooms, laundry services, and toiletries to unsheltered individuals and families. The Downtown and Ballard locations each offer dedicated shower rooms (5 individual shower rooms at Downtown including ADA-accessible facilities, 5 at Ballard with ADA shower), full-service bathrooms, and laundry equipment (9 washers and 14 dryers at Downtown; 5 washers and 9 dryers at Ballard). Additional services include on-site information and referral services, health education workshops through URSHEP, and basic toiletries supply distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Downtown Urban Rest Stop A full-service hygiene facility providing free showers, restrooms, and laundry services to unsheltered individuals and families at 1924 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.
- Ballard Urban Rest Stop A hygiene facility offering free showers, restrooms, and laundry services to homeless individuals and families at 2014B NW 57th St, Seattle, WA 98107, with ADA-accessible shower facilities.
- Toiletry Supplies Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Served 36,361 unduplicated patrons with 714,683 showers, 1,368,499 restroom visits, and 318,116 loads of laundry (as of February 2014)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Urban Rest Stop
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Urban Rest Stop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Urban Rest Stop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI)coreLIHI is the parent organization of Urban Rest Stop. Develops, owns and operates housing for low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington State. Provides operational support, funding administration, and administrative services. LIHI bought the Glen Hotel and later the Julie Apartments for hygiene center purposes. The organization advocates for just housing policies and administers supportive service programs.
- Al Shifa Health Resource Center (University of Washington)minorUniversity of Washington organization that partners with Urban Rest Stop to provide the Urban Rest Stop Health Education Program (URSHEP) offering free health education programming every other Saturday at the URS.
- Students in the Community (University of Washington)minorUW student organization collaborating with Urban Rest Stop and Al Shifa to provide health education programming and opportunities for healthcare students to understand homeless community issues.
- Harborview Medical CenterminorFrom April 2009 to April 2011, Harborview collaborated with URS to provide free health care two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am-11:30pm). Public health nurses provided minor emergency first aid, preventative health care, pre-natal care, identification of more serious health issues, and referrals. Funded by Federal Stimulus Act.
- Downtown Seattle Association (DSA)minorInitially filed lawsuit to block the hygiene center project but later settled, contributing $250,000 toward renovation work on The Julie building as part of settlement agreement.
- SHARE/WHEELminorSHARE and WHEEL's Shelter Program partners with 12 area churches to provide overnight shelter for over 220 men and women each night. Related advocacy partner for homeless services.
- Mary's PlaceminorReferral partner for low-income and homeless families with children. URS staff provides information on Mary's Place services for families needing family-specific resources.
- Angelina's Day CenterminorReferral partner for families with children. URS provides referrals to this service for families needing family-specific resources.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Urban Rest Stop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC): DESC is a major Seattle-based nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges. It is comparable in serving overlapping patron populations, operating within the same city funding environment, and integrating hygiene access with broader housing outcomes.
- SHARE/WHEEL: SHARE/WHEEL runs Seattle-area overnight shelter programs for hundreds of men and women each night and is a listed referral partner of URS. Comparable in operating within the same Seattle homeless-services ecosystem and serving overlapping patron populations.
- Mary's Place: Mary's Place is a Seattle-based family homeless services nonprofit and an active referral partner with URS. It overlaps in patron base (homeless families with children) and in reliance on City of Seattle funding and donations.
- Compass Housing Alliance: Compass operates shelter and supportive housing programs in the Puget Sound region and is an established referral partner in URS's network. It is comparable as a Seattle-area nonprofit serving overlapping homeless populations with hygiene-adjacent services.
- Salvation Army Seattle (William Booth Center): The Salvation Army operates shower, laundry, and shelter services at multiple Puget Sound locations, including the William Booth Center. Comparable to URS in providing low-barrier hygiene services to homeless adults, with heavier reliance on federal and faith-based funding.
Direct peers
- Lava Mae: Lava Mae operates mobile hygiene and shower services for people experiencing homelessness, originally in San Francisco and expanded to LA. It is the closest functional analogue to Urban Rest Stop in terms of free, dedicated hygiene services for the unsheltered, with similar reliance on philanthropy and government support.
- People Concern (formerly Ocean Park Community Center): The People Concern in Los Angeles runs multi-service homeless programs including shower, laundry, and hygiene access for unsheltered clients. It is comparable to URS in mission, service mix (showers, laundry, case management), and nonprofit funding model.
Emerging players
- Lava Mae x Dignity Health Mobile Showers: Several mobile-shower programs (including Dignity Health-affiliated and smaller pilot efforts in cities like Austin and San Diego) are emerging direct analogues. Comparable as peer concepts to URS's stand-alone facility model, but operate via mobile units rather than fixed locations.
Others
- St. Vincent de Paul Society of Seattle/King County: SVdP operates food banks, shelter, and hygiene support programs in the Seattle/King County area. Comparable as a regional social services ecosystem participant serving overlapping populations, though not a direct hygiene-facility competitor.
- Portland Loo (Portland Public Restroom Program): Portland's public restroom program installs and maintains publicly accessible stand-alone restrooms throughout the city. It is comparable only as an adjacent public-hygiene infrastructure model for unsheltered populations, not as a directly competing service provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Urban Rest Stop social profiles
Digital presenceUrban Rest Stop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Rest Stop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Urban Rest Stop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Rest Stop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urban Rest Stop
What does Urban Rest Stop do?
Urban Rest Stop operates free, walk-in hygiene facilities in Seattle that provide showers, restrooms, laundry services, and basic toiletries to unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Each patron is allotted one shower per day and one load of laundry every other day at no cost, with toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, and soap supplied on site. The organization also offers information and referral services, including housing referrals and health education programming delivered through partnerships.
Is Urban Rest Stop a public or private company?
Urban Rest Stop is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Urban Rest Stop founded?
Urban Rest Stop was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Urban Rest Stop based?
Urban Rest Stop is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Urban Rest Stop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Funding and volunteer Support.
Who are Urban Rest Stop's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), SHARE/WHEEL, Mary's Place, Compass Housing Alliance and Salvation Army Seattle (William Booth Center). Direct peers are Lava Mae and People Concern (formerly Ocean Park Community Center). Lava Mae x Dignity Health Mobile Showers is listed as an emerging player. Others are St. Vincent de Paul Society of Seattle/King County and Portland Loo (Portland Public Restroom Program).
Does Urban Rest Stop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Rest Stop.
What industry is Urban Rest Stop in?
Urban Rest Stop's product category is Community Hygiene Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAFAH, Portable Restroom & Sanitation Rentals (Restrooms, Handwashing Stations). Its NAICS code is 8123 and its SIC code is 4950.