Screenshot-2026-04-16-113602
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
Share
Facebook
Twitter/X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Black Market of Stolen Goods and Open-Air Drug Use Thrive in Seattle’s Chinatown

View at Jonathan Choe's X
Categories
Crime, Law, and Order
Drug Epidemic
Street Report

Tiny Homes Won’t Solve This Problem

Sunday evening, the drug den at the corner of 12th Ave & Jackson St in Seattle’s Chinatown-ID is spiraling out of control.

A hoard of addicts are flipping stolen items on the sidewalk which is just a blocks away from Summit Sierra High School. Who needs a bassinet or brand new Nikes?

This has nothing to do with homelessness.

The vast majority of people out here have housing and are using the streets as a hang out.

Constructing tiny houses will not solve this problem.

There is no way Mayor Katie Wilson will be able to contain this disaster by building more wooden shacks.

Too bad City Attorney Erika Evans refuses to prosecute open-air drug use.

The FIFA World Cup is two months away and fans will see this city’s failed policies in action.

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.