One Seattle homelessness action plan

Description

The City of Seattle first declared a State of Emergency for homelessness in 2015. Despite intentional efforts and significant spending, the emergency has only grown worse since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. After years of effort and hundreds of millions of dollars, the City has been unable to solve this complex problem alone. As the population of people experiencing homelessness has increased, so have encampments and tents. More public spaces have become inaccessible and rates of gun violence in and near those encampments have risen. Unfortunately, our supply of shelter spaces has not kept pace with the City’s growing demand. We also recognize that while support for shelter, outreach, services, and other resources is crucial, the only way to ensure permanent progress on the homelessness crisis is to address the affordable housing crisis. Through recent data collection efforts, the Harrell Administration has been able to improve the City’s understanding of the problem including its root causes. Moving forward, all City Departments will leverage this data to prioritize efforts, coordinate the deployment of City resources, and bring compassionate and swift resolution to public safety concerns. Furthermore, we will mobilize to address the unmet needs of our sheltered and unsheltered residents.

Format

webpage

Type

Webpage