Yesterday HSD Interim Director Jason Johnson delivered a report to the City Council on the performance of the city’s homeless-response programs through the first half of 2019. There was some good news.
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Regional governance structure for homeless response starting to take shape
According to a briefing delivered to the City Council yesterday, key questions are now starting to be answered in the long process of devising a regional governance structure for the response to the homelessness crisis.
Continue readingCity Auditor criticizes aspects of city’s homeless response
Today the Seattle City Auditor released its review of aspects of the city’s homeless response related to early outreach, hygiene services, and rigorous evaluation. The report was critical of the city’s execution on all three issues.
Continue readingSeattle and King County slowly moving toward regional governance for homelessness response
While most of the attention in 2018 was on the lackluster and fruitless “One Table” effort to drive a regional response to homelessness, it appears that quietly the stage was being set for a move to a regional governance system — or at least for the parts under the control of Seattle and King County.
Continue readingCity puts $30M of homeless response funding out to bid
For the first time in ten years, the City of Seattle is bidding out $30 million of homelessness funding through an open RFP process. It’s using the RFP as a chance to rewrite the rules for service providers — and more importantly to ratchet up the requirements placed upon them.
Continue readingCatching up on the homelessness response
Yesterday afternoon the Council received another monthly briefing on the “Bridging the Gap” short-term response to the homelessness crisis in Seattle.
Continue reading“Bridging the Gap” interim homeless response gives its first Council update
Yesterday the Human Services and Public Health Committee heard its first update of the Mayor’s “Bridging the Gap” plan, intended to be the interim response to the city’s homelessness crisis until the full “Pathways Home” plan can be rolled out in 2018.
Continue readingUnderstanding the Budget, Part 3: Human Services Department
The Human Services Department, often referred to as HSD, is one of the largest departments in the city with 325 full-time employees and a proposed 2017 budget of $156.7 million. Where does the money come from, and where does it all go?
Continue readingNews roundup: secure scheduling, heroin task force, and more
This afternoon’s vote on the secure scheduling ordinance tops this morning’s news coverage.
Continue readingNews roundup: Homeless camps, electric cars, and more
Lots of things happening this week, especially around the homeless crisis, encampments, and the Jungle.
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