The Salvation Army shelter in Bremerton, which has been operating for the last six years, released a statement that it will be closing during the daytime due to a lack of funding.

As of Feb. 17, the Salvation Army will offer night-only shelter services from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Hot breakfast and a bagged lunch will be provided every morning for each guest, a press release says. The shelter has 94 beds, making it Bremerton’s largest homeless shelter.

The Salvation Army stated that they are offering limited financial support to employees affected by the change. The Salvation Army will have to provide its own funding for the daytime shelter for January and part of February.

“Our 24/7 shelter is a community where we respect, offer compassion, and provide steadfast support to each guest on their path toward stability. We will continue to do this as a night-only shelter and hope our impact remains steady. Our time together in the day was most meaningful as we built relationships and walked alongside each person on their journey to a better life,” said Captain Dana Walters in the press release.

On Dec. 16, 2025, The Salvation Army was notified by Kitsap County that their shelter funding would be decreased from $220,000 per month to approximately $75,000 per month, per the release. The funding cut was due to one-time pandemic-era grants being spent, and no other available county funding sources.

On Dec. 30, 2025, Jane Rebelowski, president of the Bremerton City Council, came to The Salvation Army, sharing that funding may be available to keep the day-shelter open. Bremerton city attorney Kylie Finnell sent an official letter to the Salvation Army. The letter stated, “Director Stanton (Bremerton Housing Authority) and President Rebelowski will recommend to the Bremerton Housing Authority Board of Directors that the interlocal agreement between the City of Bremerton and the Bremerton Housing Authority for shelter services be revisited in January 2026 to specify the Bremerton Housing Authority use city allocated funding for continued congregate shelter operations at The Salvation Army in Bremerton.”

With the city’s encouragement and advocacy, The Salvation Army made a decision to maintain 24/7 shelter operations awaiting a funding solution. However, the funding plan never came together and Salvation Army announced Feb. 16 that they are closing their daytime shelter.