Governance

Where are they now? Last month, Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) took a victory lap after spending millions of dollars to close down the Myers Way encampment(with the swimming pool) and house many of the homeless for the next year. But some of them are now spending time at a new West Seattle encampment nearby doing drugs and simply hanging out. For the past few weeks, I followed and interviewed these men and women. It was a rare glimpse into what happens after someone exits an encampment. Many of them are thankful for the apartments. But they also say the building is like a “sterile warehouse” with “no community” and “too many rules.” They also say cameras and security are constantly Read More ›

Shift’s Newsmaker Interview is with Caitlyn Axe, the author of a new must-read report from the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness project. The report revealed that the King County Regional Housing Authority’s (KCRHA) collaboration with local companies called “Partnership for Zero” not only dramatically failed in its mission to remove homeless individuals from Downtown Seattle, but it cost taxpayers nearly 10 times the amount to house individuals than what it cost non-profits to perform the same task.  On the day the report was released, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that the “partnership” was terminated. The report then exposed a disturbing lack of accountability by the politicians who govern the KCRHA. While the authority distributes millions in taxpayer funds to local homeless organizations, it does not Read More ›