Homelessness

Homeless Crisis Amid Stars The Hollywood walk of shame. I spent the last several days in Los Angeles, California documenting the homeless crisis with @choeshow. A majority of the time I spent on Skid Row, the highest concentration of homelessness in the United States, but I spent half a day at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where, despite this obvious wealth, has its own Homeless crisis. I witnessed people smoking me standing on various stars. Full-Blown Crisis There was a lot of mental health issues and a lot of panhandling. It was extra busy as they were preparing for the Oscars. California is in a full-blown crisis with no plan in sight. Go to https://fixhomelessness.org to learn more.

The Real Root Causes More startling images coming out of the Ballard drug encampment in Seattle. Multiple people are passed out with fentanyl foil in their hands. On Wednesday, I told you about an Asian American woman who was cleared out during the massive Fred Meyer sweep. I’ve learned this young woman’s name is Juliana and she’s 27 years old. She says her family is in the area but would not get into reasons why she’s on the streets. Don’t listen to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson when she claims this is an affordable housing crisis. That narrative only benefits HOMELESS INC and the builders. This is about drugs, mental illness, and broken relationships. Those are the roots causes fueling the Read More ›

The Never-Ending Cycle Another mega sweep in the books under Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. Wednesday morning, crews cleared out dozens of drug addicts near the Ballard Fred Meyer store and Burke-Gilman Trail. As expected, only a few people got apartments or tiny houses. The rest rejected shelter options being offered and moved down the block to start the fourth iteration of this encampment. Most stunning of all, I saw a young Asian American woman looking totally out of place. Spotting anyone from this racial group in one of the city’s drug dens is a rare occurrence. I tried to help. But the guys surrounding her made sure she stayed. Does anyone recognize her? What is going on here?

The Las Vegas Secret Las Vegas “mole people” are real. It’s the worst-kept secret in the city. In Part 1 of this investigation, Kevin Dahlgren and I are showing the problem, but also trying to figure out why elected officials want this crisis hidden instead of solved.

“Expect to hear more from us…” Stop The Sweeps Seattle is now making veiled threats at Mayor Katie Wilson. The Antifa aligned far-left activist group claims Wilson isn’t stopping encampment removals. So it appears they’re getting ready to protest and be disruptive, just like the old days. “Expect to hear more from us about the Wilson administration moving forward…” Bait-and-Switch According to Stop The Sweeps, they expected Wilson to be a friendly. Instead, they now realize the socialist mayor is a politician, just like her predecessor Bruce Harrell. Stretched Thin Stop The Sweeps also implies volunteer comrades are stretched thin due to all the other causes they are trying to protest. Supporting Street Life Meanwhile, these grifters are raising money Read More ›

Every legislative session in Washington state, a few infamous bills absorb all the time and attention that ordinary citizens can reasonably devote to restraining their government — while still minding the important business of their own lives. This year, it’s a “millionaires’ tax” (also known as an unconstitutional state income tax), and a “modernization” of law enforcement that would ensure county-elected sheriffs serve at the behest of an unelected state board. Rightfully, the people are fiercely fighting these bad ideas. Meanwhile, about 350 other bills are quietly passing into law, many of them just as bad. Most of us won’t even know about these laws until we cut ourselves on their sharp edges while minding the important business of our Read More ›

Running Scared Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is once again running scared from the media. Wednesday afternoon, Wilson quietly left a press conference about homeless shelters before it even ended. One local tv station reporter could be overheard arguing with Wilson’s communications director Sage Wilson, demanding an explanation. This is straight up amateur hour. Contentious Relationship Since taking office in January, Wilson and I have had a contentious relationship. Wilson’s team tried to block me at her City Hall inauguration ceremony. Evading… Wilson has also referred to me as an “extremist influencer.” Evading… Even on the campaign trail, Wilson’s Antifa volunteer security tried to block me from asking her questions. And More Evading… All I do is ask questions for a Read More ›

California Governor Gavin Newsom regularly repeats his mantra: “Shelter solves sleep; housing solves homelessness.” Hmm. From 2022 to 2025, I wrote weekly columns about homelessness and gained insight by living for three weeks in shelters. Based on that I can say: In general, it is not true that housing solves homelessness.

Maybe it solves homelessness for people who are not addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill, or victims of abusive childhoods, but most homeless people are in one or more of those four categories. Maybe housing solves homelessness if the rest of us don’t like to see homeless people: Get them out of sight and they can be out of mind.

Invisibility benefits those who have homes. Unseen homeless folks don’t ask us for money, so we are free from giving what often goes to buy drugs or alcohol, or from not giving and feeling heartless. But for those who are out of their minds for various reasons, housing does not solve homelessness.

Augustine 1,600 years ago famously said regarding God, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” The earthbound equivalent is “Our bodies are restless until they reside in a home.” For many, though, walls and a roof alone do not make a home.

Instead, hiding away addicts or alcoholics inside an apartment leaves many apart from everything except a needle or a bottle. Hiding away the severely mentally ill leaves them apart from everything except walking nightmares. People who are desperately ill need to be together with someone who can offer compassionate help.

That’s one reason a chart used at the Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM) in Tustin, California, impressed me. It’s one of the places I lived at for a few days in 2023 and in January 2026 to gain some street-level understanding of these issues. Instead of using one marker to assess progress in coming out of homelessness—a signed apartment lease, say—OCRM evaluates a more holistic list of ten, including: “spiritual … sobriety/substance abuse (if applicable) … mental health … shelter/housing … social/family relationships … income and employment … physical health, food, and nutrition.” (This quotation and those that follow are from the OCRM “Outcome Assessments,” and I’ve seen that actions back up those words.)

Update 3/5: The State Senate passed HB 2266, with amendments. The bill will now go back to the House to be reconsidered. A vote is expected the week of 3/9. Please call your local Representative today! Update 3/9: The House passed HB 2266. The bill will go to the Governor’s desk for signature. More than 20,000 people are living on the streets in Washington state, most of them suffering from an untreated mental illness and/or drug addiction. HB 2266 is currently moving through the Washington State legislature to make it easier to develop subsidized housing and emergency shelters in the style of the failed Housing First policy. This bill would override local ordinances and zoning laws, put residents in real Read More ›

Waste of Taxpayer Dollars Even after two mega sweeps last month, homeless drug addicts are back at the corner of MLK Jr Way and Rainier Ave S. What a waste of taxpayer dollars. New drug encampments are also popping up across the city. That’s because all the addicts know Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson won’t follow through with arrests, and City Attorney Erika Evans won’t prosecute for illegal camping. Just a reminder, the FIFA World Cup is just three months away.