This year’s One Night Count found 2,813 homeless people (an increase of more than 500 people from last year) in Seattle, and there were 49 unauthorized camping sites counted in January, according to the city’s Human Services Department. (Last year, there were a total of 351 illegal camping sites.)
Last fall, Mayor Ed Murray convened the Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee to issue recommendations by May 30 on how the city should tackle its housing emergency. On March 26, he directed the committee members to develop specific proposals to build 20,000 affordable housing units.
The Seattle City Council also recently approved, as a short-term solution, three new, regulated homeless encampments on private land or city property (excluding parks) in nonresidential areas, to provide more stability and safety to its residents.
Meanwhile, city officials have made concessions to developers that allow them to build even more market-rate housing that a growing number of residents can’t afford. Rents are increasing upward of 60 percent, according to City Councilmember Nick Licata.
Those who can afford the new market-rate homes and the rising prices for existing homes bring with them more disposable income to spend in the city. And they want world-class amenities that don’t include homeless encampments.
Homelessness isn’t a problem that can be quickly solved with a task force’s recommendations. City officials need to decide whether they want Seattle to become the world-class city they desperately want it to be or to help all of its residents into affordable homes — they can’t have it both ways.