Homeless Solution

In 2015, Seattle declared a State of Emergency for homelessness. But since that time, the homelessness has only grown worse. In Seattle King County, there are an estimated 12,000 homeless people with roughly 6,000 unsheltered. From 2006 to 2020, King County population grew 1.7% per year but homelessness grew twice as fast with the unsheltered exploded to nearly 13.4%. In 2021, there was a voter initiative known as Compassion Seattle, proposed to amend the Seattle charter and resolve the homeless problem. But it was seen as political and unempathetic towards the homeless, so it never saw the light of day.

 

The causes of homelessness are vast: mental illness, drug addiction, poverty, high cost of housing, etc. To resolve the problem, interventions must be individualized and with a wide range of support. The first part of the work has already been done by the creation of the Regional Housing Authority (RHA), which seeks to centralize and organize various organizations and resources, so that it’s easier to monitor and provide needed accountability. Seattle has also created the “One Seattle” vision to confront inequities in opportunity, homelessness, housing, affordability, and health. There is also a Washington State plan called the “Right-of-Way’ initiative built to address homelessness by setting up available housing and the coordination of transportation and treatment for those moving into supportive housing. All these ideas and plans are great and necessary.

But it is the responsibility of the Seattle’s community to mobilize and pressure our local, state, and federal governments to act and to follow-through. It is time for citizens to rise up and participate in local and state politics, not just by voting, but by active participation. Each year commencing in 2023, we need to show progress towards those goals: reduction of homelessness to zero by 2027. That means, each year homelessness must be reduced by 25% if we are to show progress. If we as citizens can stay active by keeping ourselves knowledgeable and informed, we can make sure that by 2027 we are no longer talking about homelessness.

Famous Cards

https://simondalexy.com/