Discovery Releases New Data and Policy Approach for Seattle’s Homelessness Crisis

Discovery Institute Releases New Homelessness Data and Policy Approach for Seattle

Seattle, WA- If the growth rate of unsheltered homelessness in King County remains unchanged, the population experiencing unsheltered homelessness will double from nearly 10,000 to a staggering 20,000 in less than three years. A new report from Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness Initiative offers policy recommendations and new data to address the crisis.

A study performed by Discovery Institute found that 49.7% of people experiencing homelessness and enrolled in Seattle programs first began experiencing homelessness outside of King County. Data also reveals a dramatic redistribution of funding away from emergency and transitional beds towards permanent supportive housing without treatment requirements.

Report co-author Dr. Robert Marbut, former Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, says that “Seattle’s rate of homelessness is on par with Los Angeles, and will become insurmountable unless something changes. Compassion demands a clinical response to the high inflow of people experiencing homelessness from outside of King County that places people where they have the best chance at recovery.”

The report recommends three immediate action steps for Seattle’s elected officials to reverse the trend of increasing homelessness and to make an impact on the crisis. These policy proposals include allocating available resources towards treatment and recovery services, redirecting 20% of funding towards an emergency response, and creating two clinical tracks for the distribution of services.

“There is widespread agreement that the current approach to homelessness in Seattle is not working and, worse, is causing harm to the people it purports to help,” says co-author Caitlyn McKenney. “We offer current data to inform tangible solutions for a new, commonsense approach to the tragic crisis of homelessness in our city.”