Governance

Jonathan Choe and Brandi Kruse give an inside look into the open-air drug use, mental illness, and sale of drugs/stolen goods plaguing downtown Seattle streets and parks — problems city leaders now appear eager to move out of sight before hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive. An estimated ~750,000 people are expected to visit Seattle during the FIFA World Cup beginning in June 2026. In preparation, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is accused of pushing homeless encampments and activity out of the downtown core and into surrounding areas. Former Mayor Bruce Harrell faced criticism for similar tactics, including downtown sweeps and distributing visitor maps highlighting “safe” routes for tourists to avoid areas overwhelmed by homelessness, drug use, and crime.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson was elected to office in November 2025, succeeding Mayor Bruce Harrell. Filmmaker SIX SEVEN KEVIN asks her what should be done about the service-resistant homeless, who turn down offers for shelter and treatment. Unfortunately, Mayor Wilson’s response leaves much to be desired. 6’7 Kevin is a documentary filmmaker and journalist known for the Dregs of the City series on YouTube, where he explores America’s homeless culture from state to state. Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s YouTube channel: @67kevin⁩ Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN on X: Six Seven (@67Kevin1) / X Visit SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s website: SIX SEVEN | Documentary Filmmakers

Despite his campaign promise to end homeless encampment sweeps, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reinstated them. Filmmaker SIX SEVEN KEVIN takes to the streets of New York City, asking business owners, residents, and homeless individuals themselves about how the mayor has been handling the homelessness crisis. 6’7 Kevin is a documentary filmmaker and journalist known for the Dregs of the City series on YouTube, where he explores America’s homeless culture from state to state. Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s YouTube channel: @67kevin⁩ Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN on X: Six Seven (@67Kevin1) / X Visit SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s website: SIX SEVEN | Documentary Filmmakers

A Familiar Pattern A Chicago-based non-profit called CommonSpirit now controls Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s Bailey-Boushay House. The controversial taxpayer-funded homeless shelter is being blamed for a spike in crime, drug use, and disorder in Seattle’s Madison Valley. The embattled King County Regional Homelessness Authority is supposed to hold them accountable but has failed to do so. My colleague Marsha Michaelis and I are taking a closer look at the way “low barrier” facilities are destroying communities in WA.

Unhinged Behavior Bailey-Boushay House in Seattle, known for its HIV/AIDS care and low-barrier homeless shelter, faces major challenges surrounding neighborhood safety and public disorder. Look at this client going on a bender in front of the bus stop that’s frequently used by children and the elderly.

Community Cancer Neighbors and business owners are sounding the alarm about a problematic homeless shelter in Seattle’s picturesque Madison Valley neighborhood. It’s Virginia Mason’s Bailey-Boushay House that’s now being blamed for attracting crime, open-air drug use, and mentally unhinged individuals into the community. This facility gets millions of taxpayer dollars but critics say no one is holding them accountable. This is another black eye for the constellation of “low barrier” facilities that are being championed by Mayor Katie Wilson.

All on the Taxpayers’ Dime What a time to be alive if you are a transgender homeless migrant in California. Check out what taxpayers are funding. Welcome to America.

Dashed Hopes The support Mayor Katie Wilson once had among the homeless is fading faster than many expected. On the street, a different narrative is emerging, one that doesn’t match the optimism that followed her election. No Solutions Several people I spoke with say sweeps have actually increased since she took office, with little meaningful progress toward permanent solutions. For many, it feels like more movement without direction being pushed from block to block, but never off the street. What makes this shift more striking is who’s saying it. Broken Promises Many of the homeless individuals I interviewed identify as far left and were genuinely excited when Wilson was elected. They believed they were finally getting an ally in City Read More ›

Drugs Fuel Street Crisis Listen to Seattle’s homeless fentanyl addicts. They’re now admitting illegal drugs are fueling the street crisis. But Mayor Katie Wilson and other Democrats think they can build their way out of this problem. Meanwhile, nothing will change in this city until elected officials focus on making treatment mandatory before giving away free taxpayer funded apartments and studios. That will only benefit Homeless INC and all the builders. We’ve already witnessed the failure of Housing First for more than a decade.

Starbucks: From Foe to Friend Last year Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson blasted Starbucks while standing in solidarity with workers on strike. This week, she announced the local coffee giant would help fund the first phase of the city’s homelessness response. So is the mayor now pandering to Starbucks or is Starbucks pandering to the mayor? Either way, we all know how the last public-private partnership to end homelessness turned out for local donors and the government. Past Failed Attempts Remember We Are In? The King County Regional Homelessness Authority under former CEO Marc Dones got corporations like the Gates Foundation to pony up millions of dollars to solve homelessness. Amazon, Microsoft, Ballmer Group, and the Raikes Foundation were also involved. Read More ›