Yesterday afternoon the “Compassion Seattle” campaign filed an updated version of its proposed charter amendment ballot initiative, with two key changes to address critiques of the effort that have emerged since the initiative was first unveiled.
Continue readingTag: homelessness
Annual homeless count report released, and it’s still a mess
Earlier this month King County released its annual “Point in Time” count of homeless persons in the county, as required by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a condition of receiving grant funding. Last year, SCC Insight reported on the significant methodology issues with the count that rendered its year-over-year trend data unusable. This year those same issues exist, plus some new ones. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn from the new report; we just need to dig harder.
Continue readingCouncil, Mayor warring over homeless encampment cleanups again
It feels like Groundhog Day: once again, the Mayor’s office and the City Council are at war over when it’s appropriate to remove unsanctioned homeless encampments. But COVID-19 puts a new twist on this never-ending debate.
Continue readingCouncil members attempt to further restrict “sweeps” of homeless encampments during COVID emergency
This week, Council members Morales, Sawant and Mosqueda are introducing a bill that would further restrict the city’s cleanups of unsanctioned homeless encampments during the COVID-19 emergency.
Continue readingEditorial: here’s what the city should do about the Navigation Team
Yesterday afternoon’s Council committee hearing to review the most recent quarterly report for the Navigation Team was nothing short of a bloodbath. You can watch the video here, if you are so inclined, and read Erica Barnett’s summary. In a nutshell: the Human Services Department tried to put lipstick on a pig, obscuring the struggles that the Navigation Team faces. And the Council was having none of it. Prior to yesterday’s meeting, there were already some vocal critics of the Navigation Team, including Council members Sawant and Mosqueda, but the rest of the Council appeared to see the team as …
Continue readingNavigation Team publishes its quarterly report
Yesterday the city’s Navigation Team published its quarterly report for the final three months of 2019. The report includes statistics on the team’s activities and outcomes, and answers some (but not all) of a set of questions posed by the City Council.
Continue readingNew McKinsey report dives into Seattle-area homelessness crisis
Late last month, the consulting firm McKinsey published a new report looking at the cause of the deep homelessness crisis in the Seattle/King County area — despite the obvious prosperity the region is enjoying.
Continue reading
Your weekend reading
There are a number of reports and documents that have been published in the last couple of weeks and are worth paying attention to. So curl up in front of the fire, break out your reading glasses, and dig in.
Continue readingCouncil deliberates on bill expanding permitting of homeless encampments
This afternoon, the Council’s Select Committee on Homelessness Strategies and Investments held its first discussion of Council member Sawant’s bill that would relax limits on permitting of sanctioned encampments and “tiny home villages.”
Continue readingCouncil gives final approval to agreement establishing regional homelessness authority
By a 5-1 vote this afternoon, the City Council gave its final approval to an interlocal agreement (ILA) with King County to establish a new regional agency to lead on homelessness. Council member Gonzalez voted against the agreement, and Council members Sawant, Herbold and Mosqueda were absent (Mosqueda is on maternity leave).
Continue reading