Where Are City Workers? Hundreds of people are walking past a homeless woman in downtown Seattle suffering from frostbite. She’s missing fingers and toes. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez is the only outreach worker who’s stopping to help. Where are the city funded workers?
Social Services Row Crime, chaos, and death sums up what’s happening in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The cross streets near social service providers like Plymouth Housing and REACH continue to be the root of all drug-related problems. They are both notorious pushers of the failed “harm reduction” and Housing First policies that have led to even higher rates of homelessness and drug overdose deaths in the region. Making matters worse, the Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) ordinance has been a total flop since it’s barely being enforced.
Lost to Drugs The street crisis in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood is being fueled by drugs and mental illness. Some of the city funded non-profits like REACH and Plymouth Housing also have a presence in this neighborhood. Critics say their clients are the ones running wild on the streets and causing most of the problems. Late Tuesday evening, Andrea Suarez of We Heart Seattle tried to help a woman undressing on the sidewalk. But she was lost in her drug-induced mania.
Horror Show Parts of Seattle remain a horror show. From sex trafficking out of tents to overdose deaths on the streets, the human suffering in neighborhoods like Chinatown-ID remain off the charts. Late Tuesday evening, I followed Andrea Suarez as she tried to get multiple people into detox and treatment. But they all refused. Law enforcement shows up on occasion and moves people along. But the addicts and dealers return once officers leave. Meanwhile, Mayor Bruce Harrell and city agencies remain paralyzed. It’s now been nearly four years of failure under his watch as the drug crisis spirals out of control. Until you see the city’s elected officials walking these dangerous streets, don’t believe anything they say on this matter. Read More ›
3rd & Pine Gets a Makeover Instead of dealing with the root causes of the street crisis in downtown Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office is adding sidewalk paintings and pretty lights to the corner of 3rd Ave & Pine St. It’s considered one of the most dangerous street corners in the city. It’s home to McStabby’s and is a favorite spot for drug dealers. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez spotted the crews putting in the new art Wednesday afternoon. Will it make a difference?
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Saturday afternoon, We Heart Seattle volunteers unleashed a massive clean-up effort outside the Seattle Federal Building after Antifa militants vandalized the property during protests earlier this month. But get this, Homeland Security officers told them to stand down because they did not have permission. Once again, red tape and bureaucracy stifles citizen action. Make it make sense.
Breaking Seattle Police just busted one of the most notorious homeless vandals in the Belltown neighborhood. He’s accused of going on a window smashing spree this week on Cedar Ave. He’s also believed to be a suspect in other vandalism incidents in the area. Neighbors say he’s clearly dealing with drug addiction and mental illness. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez says she’s seen this guy before and has tried to help. The same group of repeat offenders keep running around the city causing problems.
Our friends at We Heart Seattle are doing incredible work transforming lives. The testimonial below features recovering addict Stephen Dowd, who was found living in a tent before We Heart Seattle helped him get into treatment. We Heart Seattle is modeling what actually works to rescue people from homelessness. “Everybody else is focused on getting somebody housed,” says We Heart Seattle’s Tim Emerson. “I’m more focused on getting somebody better and then housed.”
New Even after hundreds of millions of dollars poured into “Housing First” and “harm reduction” programs, we are now encountering more senior citizens addicted to fentanyl on the streets of Seattle. How many more Patty’s are out there and falling through the cracks?
New “Housing First” is an utter failure and must be scrapped. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proves it. Even the drug addicts say this not an affordable housing issue. In fact some people are now afraid to go into low barrier “permanent support housing” situations because they know drug use and overdose deaths are rampant behind closed doors. They don’t want to die alone in these inhumane conditions. “Housing First” and “harm reduction” policies are fueling this crisis. When will King County and Seattle leaders start course correcting? Liberal Media is Turning This cartoon in the Seattle Times sums up “Housing First” and how it’s been fueling the crisis on the streets. Even Read More ›