How Do We Best Improve the Health and Safety of People Facing Homelessness?
We are working productively to address the crisis of homelessness and to create a coordinated system that works. That is, a system that improves conditions for people who are homeless and improves communications and conditions with our neighborhoods.
Throughout this year, we have explored conditions of being homeless in Seattle in my Human Services and Public Health committee. We have heard from advocates, service providers and national experts on best practices.
On September 8, Barbara Poppe and Focus Strategies offered their recommendations for the coordinated regional approach based on the data gathered here. You can read their reports here.
Based on these recommendations and data-based strategies that have proven to be successful in big cities across our nation, the Human Services Department presented the Mayor’s Pathways Home, the implementation plan for the recommendations.
Read more about my recommendations in my blog post, Creating the Seattle Success Story for Those Who Are Unsheltered. As I’ve often said there’s no silver bullet to fix homelessness issues, but there is silver buckshot.
These strategies will help us in the long term, but we also need to focus on what to do to keep people in our city, both unsheltered and sheltered, safe and healthy while the strategies are being implemented. Many people have asked me how they can help. There are important ways YOU can help, and I would like to hear from you. Please answer the three questions below, and provide your ideas about sites or locations where we could provide safe places for people to be. If you prefer, contact my office with your suggestions at sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov.
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You may also provide input during the Human Services and Public Health Committee meetings this month, where we will discuss encampment removal protocols, by giving public comment during the meeting.
- Thursday, September 22nd at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall.
- Wednesday, September 28th at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall.
If you have questions or would like to discuss this more please contact me at (206) 684-8801 and sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov.
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Sally Bagshaw
Email: Sally.Bagshaw@seattle.gov
Phone: (206) 684-8801
Online: Council Website
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