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Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
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March 6, 2024
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Seattle to Shut Down Chinatown Controversial Homeless Shelter

Jonathan Choe
March 6, 2024
Community Impact
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In a stunning reversal, Seattle says it will not renew the lease of DESC’s Navigation Center in Little Saigon. Neighbors have blamed this low barrier homeless shelter for open air drug use, crime, and 911 calls spiking in the area. Massive win for this community.

The Navigation Center is a magnet for crime. Last October, a man unloaded at least 30 rounds and several bullets hit a homeless man nearby. A simple Google search will show dozens of problems associated with this homeless shelter and other DESC facilities.

Police say the Navigation Center fuels the black market of stolen goods and drug trade in Little Saigon. It’s turned into a revolving door for homeless people from across the city. But criminals also take advantage of this fluid situation by blending in.

City leaders say the Navigation Center will close by the end of January 2025. I caught up with Mayor Bruce Harrell last month and he hinted at major changes coming to Chinatown-ID. His Downtown Activation plan taking shape in the CID. Huge win for Mayor.

This failed social experiment started in 2017. City leaders were warned about this low barrier model and it’s impact on neighborhoods. Giving out free meth pipes and needles to homeless drug addicts without requirements to get better is always a bad idea.

City: ‘Is it negotiable? It is not.’ — Little Saigon enraged and in disbelief during discussion about new homeless center

Back in 2022, Asian American families and biz owners in the CID went to war with Dow Constantine and defeated his homeless MEGAPLEX. The nearby Navigation Center was cited as one of the reasons why this community was so concerned about another shelter.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.