I frequently meet with neighborhoods to talk about what we are doing to end homelessness. This post -- albeit lengthy -- offers updates you can share with your neighbors. If you read this to the end and follow the hyperlinks, you may be surprised at how much is really happening and the scope of the efforts to solve the problem. For starters, keep this regularly updated website Homelessness Response Blog close and you’ll be in the know about the latest actions.
In most neighborhoods in our city, the vast majority of us are housed and we are eating well. In some parts of our city, however, pockets of poorly sheltered people are constant reminders that we are living the Tale of Two Cities. Most of us live in relative comfort, and over 3000 of us are just trying to survive. In tents. In RVs and cars. In shelters. Seattle is home to both great opportunity and real despair.
So, what’s being done?
We are building residential units in unprecedented numbers across the city, yet demand for affordable housing is outpacing supply. In our all out effort to address the crisis of homelessness, we’ve connected with other cities across the nation to learn what they have done that is truly working to address homelessness. We’ve consulted with national experts including Barb Poppe who authored our Pathways Home recommendations.
I’m quoting myself here: there’s no silver bullet to eliminate homelessness, but there is silver buckshot. This buckshot approach is what we are doing and we’ve seen progress in 2017.
Here’s what’s changed:
1. Emergency Operations Center Activation and Homelessness Response
Beginning in February, the City took a new approach to responding to unmanaged tent encampments,garbage, and abandoned debris.
Five days a week, Monday – Friday, at 8:30 in the morning, police officers, outreach workers, city staff from the Human Services Department, Facilities Management, Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, and King County staff from corresponding departments gather in the same room to actively problem solve around Seattle’s emergency homelessness response. This is a “person-centered” approach designed to implement the Pathways Home recommendations, and identify individuals on our streets.
In the past ten weeks, city, county, and social service providers have made significant progress on the following goals.
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