Governance

On December 16, HUD Secretary Scott Turner toured facilities at the Helping Up Mission in Baltimore, Maryland, a faith-based organization serving the homeless for 140 years. This visit was part of a larger tour in which Turner will visit facilities that are successfully helping people transition from homelessness to self-sustained living as HUD reexamines its approach to homelessness. WMAR 2 News reports: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner toured Helping Up Mission’s men’s recovery campus today, meeting with clients and staff to learn how healthcare, recovery, job training and faith work together to address homelessness. Turner said models like this are key to helping people move toward independence rather than long-term dependence. For nearly 140 years, Helping Up Read More ›

Tackling the Root Causes HUD Secretary Scott Turner takes direct aim at America’s “homeless industrial complex” and says the the days of “warehousing people” are over. The Trump administration is reallocating federal dollars to tackle the root causes of homelessness like drug addiction and mental illness. This plan could cripple so called Housing First programs that do not require people to find jobs or enter drug treatment. Many of these understaffed facilities under Housing First also trigger the most 911 calls in cities, allow drug use behind closed doors, and attract an inordinate amount of crime to neighborhoods. California and WA are ranked in the top three for overall homelessness in the nation. But elected officials in these states are Read More ›

“There’s a Big Drug Dealer Down Here” After dozens of neighbor complaints about homeless drug addicts destroying Seattle’s Dr. Jose Rizal Park, the fencing is back up and major renovations are about to get started. But We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez says the dealers and addicts are now moving further into wooded areas in Beacon Hill and the city is barely enforcing public camping laws in this area. Suarez is also calling out Seattle Parks Superintendent AP Diaz for being MIA.

“I Will Never Talk to You” Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson has failed to address the crime, chaos, and death associated with the Plymouth Housing/PorchLight campus in the Eastgate Neighborhood. Robinson helped bring in this permanent supportive housing nightmare even though residents and business owners opposed the plan. Nearly two years later, this campus triggers the most 911 calls in the city for fights, thefts, open-air drug use, and other problems. It’s also stressing resources at Bellevue PD and is a massive drain on taxpayer dollars. So I simply asked Robinson for her thoughts on this cancer in the community. Here’s her response. Not Running for Re-Election Tuesday evening, Robinson told the city council that she will not run for Mayor Read More ›

“Free-attle” Last year, Discovery Institute published a report showing most of the unsheltered homeless in Seattle are not from this city. Nothing has changed. Today in Ballard, I met so many new faces and transplants from out of state who are now living in tents and RV’s. Mayor-elect Katie Wilson has a “Free-atle” problem on her hands. Even outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell acknowledged this inconvenient truth. Enabling Destructive Lifestyles So many free supplies enabling people to live on the streets until they die. The bleeding heart libs need to stop this madness. Discovery Institute’s Strategic Plan for Seattle Here is a link to the entire Discovery Institute report. Join Us As you prepare for end of the year gifts, please Read More ›

Shooting Up Beneath the Space Needle Look at this debacle near the Seattle Space Needle, Gates Foundation, and The Museum of Pop Culture. One of the cities busiest tourist hot spots is under siege by tents and a rapidly growing drug encampment. Outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell’s legacy on this massive street crisis is utter failure. Will Mayor-elect Katie Wilson make the same mistake and allow the city to descend into more chaos? Harrell’s Office Unresponsive I reached out to Harrell’s top PR guy Jamie Housen about these pop-up drug encampments wrecking the city. Still no response. Housen’s Previous PR Efforts Housen is also the same guy who called a peaceful Christian concert earlier this year at Cal Anderson Park an Read More ›

Politicians Look the Other Way Don’t let all the pretty Christmas lights fool you. The drug dens in downtown Seattle are roaring out of control. Look at this one in front of the Olympic Tower Apartments at the corner of 3rd Ave and Pine St. Everyone is doing fentanyl. I bumped into this young Korean American woman who’s been a regular out here for years. She’s probably in her early 30’s but now looks like she’s in her 50’s from all the drug use. This human catastrophe continues unchecked in this city and the politicians are all looking the other way. King County Public Health is also MIA. Anyone ever see Councilmember Bob Kettle walk this nightmare stretch in his Read More ›

Drug Addiction Overruns the City Streets Since the weekend, I have now counted more than 100 drug tents in Seattle’s Chinatown-ID and Beacon Hill neighborhoods which are next to each other. This is obviously an undercount since I can’t be everywhere. Drug addicts have also taken over Dr. Jose Rizal Park. Since outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell has given up on the city, I am keeping a running list of encampments for Mayor-elect Katie Wilson. But it’s unclear if she will do anything about it. Btw, stop enabling these addicts by giving them free tents. The non-profits and virtue signaling Seattle residents are keeping vulnerable people on the streets. Get them into shelters, drive them to treatment, or send them home. Read More ›

San Francisco has been handing out drug paraphernalia freely to addicts for decades. Under the new administration of Mayor Daniel Lurie, however, individuals must be connected to treatment, counseling, or other recovery services to continue receiving these supplies. Filmmaker SIX SEVEN KEVIN speaks with addicts, residents, and city officials about the conditions of San Francisco’s streets. 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

Seattle’s homeless drug crisis remains a top three issue for voters. During a recent debate, Mayor Bruce Harrell and mayoral candidate Katie Wilson were asked the following: “Should homeless people be allowed to stay in tents in parks?” “Should homeless people be allowed to live in sidewalks?” “Should people be allowed to smoke or use drugs like fentanyl in public places?” The moderator was asking for a simple yes or no response. But Katie Wilson seemed to waffle and struggle.