The Homeless Crisis in Seattle: Time for a New Approach

I bicycle to work each day along the Burke Gilman Trail, and during the past few years there have been noticeable changes in the "sights" along the path.

Today it is not unusual to see someone sleeping next to the trail in a sleeping bag, with a number of "regulars" living in the adjacent wooded areas.  Last week I had an excellent view of one of them relieving themselves in the open.  A few weeks ago, someone even put up a tent next to the trail behind U. Village and another inhabited tent went up in Mathews Beach Park.   And when I get to my building, a homeless person is frequently sleeping on a grating adjacent to the structure, shielded by a few bushes.  Many of these homeless folks are suffering from some kind of mental affliction, talking to themselves or acting strangely.

When I drive on I5 or 520, I view encampments of homeless at many locations (including the intersection of 520 and Montlake), and a trip to the International District reveals huge numbers of homeless folks sleeping in clusters under and near I5 (see pics).

I can give a dozen other examples, but many of you have experienced the same thing:  the past few years has seen an explosion of homeless in parks, green areas, under highways and overpass, and even some in doorways of downtown buildings.  According to several surveys, there are  now 3000-4000 homeless living outside in pubic spaces.

Many of these individuals are clearly mentally ill or on drugs---disheveled, incoherent, dirty, and talking to themselves in unusual ways.  Dozens have died during the past year, passing away in the cold and wet.

It is profoundly unethical and immoral to allow this situation to continue. How can any civilized city accept a status quo in which a homeless individuals, roughly half mentally ill or addicted, must live on the street like animals, many mired in filth and violence.   Some have served our country, living with the demons of PTSD. Others are folks whose luck has run out or have experienced some tragic situation.  It is wrong.

This deteriorating situation is disgraceful for a rich and vibrant city.  It is a sign of failure of our current city leadership and in ourselves for letting the situation fester so long.  When I show out-of-town visitors our city, they shake their heads in disbelieve that Seattle has allowed things to get so bad.

The City of Seattle and the various agencies/groups dealing with the problem are clearly losing the battle.  They are not effective as noted in several reports.  Stop-gap measures like roving "tent cities" not only don't work but they leave the homeless in the cold, wet Seattle winter.  Homeless encampment sweeps, a signature approach of the current mayor, move the homeless from one location to another rather than provide a long-term solution

Recently, Paul Allen generously offered 30 million dollars to help house some homeless, with Seattle offering a match of 5 million. But supposedly this $35 million dollars was only enough to shelter a few dozen people (if we assume 3 dozen, that would be nearly a million dollars per person). Something is very wrong with the way money for homeless is spent.  Every year, Seattle spends around $50 million dollars on homeless services, but the situation continues to degrade.

The homeless crisis is, of course, not limited to Seattle, with nearby Portland and San Francisco having major problems.   And we should not forgot some of the major drivers of homelessness, such as the misguided reduction of live-in mental health facilities around the nation during the Reagan administration, without restoration by subsequent governments.

Another Approach

After reading quite a bit about this topic, I have concluded there is only one viable approach to dealing with Seattle's homeless crisis, one that encompasses two steps:

1.  Build large amounts of very low cost housing so that every individual has a bed in a warm place with complete protection from the elements, bathroom and washing facilities, access to basic food, the availability of medical and mental heath clinics, and on-site workforce counseling.  We are talking about thousands of units.

2.   Make it unlawful for any individual to sleep in public places such as under roadways or bridges, on sidewalks, parks, or other outdoor spaces.   And enforce this ban with sufficient resources to make it effective, once sufficient housing is available.

This is not pie in the sky.   The City of Seattle spent 100K on an evaluation of it expenditures and organization regarding homeless services.   The findings were clear:  the city's approach is disorganized and wasteful, and that a more logical approach (Housing First) could rapidly take homeless off the street.

Having scattered facilities around the city is very ineffective and costly; centralization will cut costs.  As shown in several cities around the country, it is far cheaper to get homeless off the streets and properly cared for than having them end up taking expensive police time or in hospital emergency rooms.

Most importantly, providing basic housing and a stabilizing environment has shown to be effective at the ultimate goal: rehabilitating the homeless back into society.

The kind of housing I am talking about would not be luxurious:  high-density housing or very inexpensive modular units.  Perhaps in industrial south Seattle not far from a light rail line or bus service.  But it would be humane and responsive to the substantial needs of this population.

With the money already available, many hundreds or thousands of units could be acquired or constructed.

A New Mayor, A New Start

Seattle will soon have a new mayor.

Can you imagine the joy of Seattle citizens if the new leader would say enough is enough and end Seattle's homeless crisis, following the approach outlined above?

Of if our new mayor would stop wasting time and money on meaningless PR efforts (like the disastrous Pronto bikes) and work on improving Seattle's potholed streets?   Or fix the rough bike trails and create a safe, protected way to bike into and out of the city?

Or if the new mayor would apply creative ways (and non-creative ones) to lessen the crippling traffic of our city?  Yes, even put park and rides where needed and reject "road diets" where they would create massive traffic?

A mayor that would make education a city priority, with close cooperation with the Seattle School District and other groups to improve math and science eductation?

A new mayor that would accommodate the economic boom while ensuring appropriate housing developments to main affordability.

A more moderate mayor that would not be playing groups against each other, but try to bring the city together to deal with the acute infrastructure and other challenges we face?

Seattle has so much potential.  We just need better leadership.