pile second hand shoes
Pile of second hand shoes on shelf at weekend market.
Photo licensed via Adobe Stock
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives

Fix Homelessness

Drug Crisis on Seattle Sidewalks During Holiday Festivity

Weekend Wreck I thought maybe leading up to Christmas, downtown Seattle would be sparkling and shining with perfection. At the very least, no massive crowds of drug users congregating at 3rd Ave & Pike St. Well, I was DEAD WRONG. Even with brighter overhead lights added to the Ross store and more Seattle Police (@SeattlePD) officers on patrol, the madness is still everywhere. The alleys and side streets are filled with people hunched over from using fentanyl. Tons of drug addicts have moved to West Lake station. They’re also feeling emboldened to use Olga Sagan’s (@OlgaSaganWA) Piroshsky Piroshky Bakery (@PiroshkyBakery) as an open air drug den. This is all part of District 7 Councilmember Andrew Lewis’ (@CMAndrewJLewis) legacy. Incoming CM Bob Kettle

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Our Mission

Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness initiative offers innovative research and compassionate solutions to the growing crisis of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness facing many American cities. Our mission is to serve as a resource for policy leaders, business owners, and neighborhood organizations trying to meaningfully reduce homelessness and to help those suffering realize their full human potential.

[not] anything helps

Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty is leading a research project on homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Our mission is to help city leaders, business owners, and neighborhood organizations meaningfully reduce homelessness and improve lives. 

Resources

National Report

“Housing First” — and often only — has demonstrably failed. Congress and the Executive Branch need to focus more on untreated mental illness and substance abuse to reduce homelessness, drug overdoses, jail overcrowding, and misuse of emergency rooms. Herein we make policy recommendations to Congress to truly help rebuild human lives.

Legal Guide

We have created a legal guide for cities to maintain compliance with the Martin v Boise decision. The guide outlines best practices for compliance and provides models for successful ordinances that balance enforcement, housing, and legal requirements. The guide is written by Joseph Tartakovsky, attorney for the City of Boise in the Martin v Boise case.

Case Studies

We have created case studies of cities that have delivered cost-effective and rapid results on homelessness. We’ll show you how San Diego built an emergency shelter and moved 700 people off the streets, how Burien eliminated camping in public parks, and how Modesto reduced quality-of-life crimes associated with homelessness by 83 percent — all within 60 days. 

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