Chinatown-addiction-Aug-2026
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
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August 29, 2026
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Drug Epidemic
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Chinatown Drug Den Worse Than Ever Two Months After Mayor Promised Crackdown on Crime

Jonathan Choe
August 29, 2026
Drug Epidemic, Governance, Street Report
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Categories
Drug Epidemic
Governance
Street Report

Progressive Policies in Action

It’s been more than two months since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson promised to enforce the law and cleanup Chinatown-ID’s open air drug market.

It’s now worse than ever and the mayor is running from all my questions.

Saturday afternoon, I bumped into an old school street cat who goes by “Antoine.” Not sure if that’s even his real name.

He has government subsidized housing but is deeply addicted to fentanyl. Last time I saw him he was walking near 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID.

Today, I found him smoking drugs with his feet amputated.

Instead of arresting this young man for public drug use and getting him into treatment, the city’s LEAD diversion program has allowed him to stay on the streets.

Unless someone intervenes, he will likely be another statistic at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

This city is the epitome of failed progressive policies in action.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth & 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.