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Summer Office Hours in District 7

Please join me in the coming months in South Lake Union, Belltown, and Downtown for District 7 Office Hours! Contact my aide, Alberta, to schedule a time for us to chat (alberta.bleck@seattle.gov) or sign up online.


Outreach in the East Duwamish Greenbelt

The East Duwamish Greenbelt --stretching approximately 150 acres under and adjacent to I-5, from I-90 to South Lucile Street-has highlighted critical aspects in our homelessness conversation, proving there is NO "one size fits all" solution.

The City of Seattle recently partnered with the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) for intensive outreach to Greenbelt residents, trying to find a solution that is right for each person. Many of the Greenbelt residents have been homeless for years. Some suffer from chemical addiction as well as mental health disorders, have a criminal record, or have pets. Many face stiff barriers to becoming housed in our current system, and as we know, "housing first" is considered for most to be the most critical component of solving homelessness.

I joined the UGM team at their main office on Second Avenue recently to meet the outreach members and spent two hours with them on the outreach team on one of their daily outreach efforts in the Greenbelt.

As we walked under I-5 and met with Greenbelt residents, the complexity of housing barriers became real. We spoke to families who need significant long-term help. Temporary shelter won't do the trick and they are afraid of what's next for them.

Story after Greenbelt story highlights three barriers we must address if we are to make a dent in homelessness. We need more low-barrier housing that addresses the "3 P's" which are big problems many people face: 
  1. Partners:  We need more housing for individuals and their partners and families
  2. Pets:  We need places for people with pets
  3. Possessions:  And we need sites with lockers where people who are experiencing homelessness may store their possessions.  
There is no shortcut-these investments must be made regionally and immediately.  But we know what can work. I am working with colleagues within the City, County, and the private sector to create low-barrier spaces and provide the services people need. This is what we can do to address the public health and public safety crisis now.  

Read more about my experience with UGM and in the Greenbelt here.


Building a Navigation Center in Seattle

I visited San Francisco’s Navigation Center last month to learn how SF has responded to the needs of unsheltered people and helped them through the complex system to becoming housed. 
 
Sited on vacant school grounds in the Mission District, the Navigation Center is offered by the City of San Francisco and managed by the Episcopal Community Services.  It offers 24/7 access to beds, showers, restrooms, and meals. Social workers are co-located on the grounds. The Center allows residents to bring their pets with them; partners are able to stay together and it allows residents to store their possessions in lockers or bigger containers on-site. So far the Navigation Center has moved over 250 people into housing or treatment programs in the city -- or back home through the Homeward Bound program, a city-sponsored program helping people experiencing homelessness return home by connecting with family and providing the cost of a bus or plane ticket.

The Navigation Center’s model is one Seattle can successfully adopt. We need to convert more of Seattle’s night-only shelters to low-barrier, 24/7 access, with services tailored to the needs of individuals, and designed to move people away from homelessness into stabilized housing and employment.

I was excited when Mayor Murray announced he will take steps to prioritize a 24/7 Navigation Center here in Seattle. Earlier this year, our Washington State legislature approved $600,000 for a Navigation Center;  Seattle is matching this investment with a private donation of $600,000 earmarked for homelessness services, and will establish a dedicated fund to collect additional private donations to support the center. With proper services and assistance navigating the extremely complex system, we can help more people get housed.

Please read more here.

Also check out Part II of my San Francisco Trip about how San Francisco is tackling their rising opioid addiction crisis here.


Seattle Pride

Sunday, June 26 | 11:00am | 4th& Union

This year’s Seattle Pride Festival comes in the wake of our nation’s deadliest shooting in modern history. The attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando has created a deep scar on the very fabric of our nation. The massacre targeted people who have been and continue to be marginalized by the society in which we live.

Hearts are heavy, but as a single, unified community Seattle will respond with expressions of love and compassion. Together, we will celebrate the voice and the identity of the LGBTQ community. Join me at the Seattle Pride Parade this Sunday where we will honor the past, present and future of the LGBTQ community in all of its beauty and resilience. Let us move forward with warmth and humanity to rise above hate. We march for love. We march for compassion. We march for Pride.

Sally Bagshaw

Email: Sally.Bagshaw@seattle.gov
Phone: (206) 684-8801
Online: Council Website
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