governance

Let’s take a one-week break from my reporting on California homelessness to celebrate this Big News! FR-6700-N-25! Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)! Maybe that sentence was MEGO to you (mine eyes glaze over) but it’s GOGOGO for government and nonprofit executives looking for federal dollars. The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs is passing out billions “in competitive funding to homeless services organizations across the country for supportive services and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness.” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge announced, “As our nation faces a worsening housing crisis, it is imperative that we continue to invest in communities’ efforts.” Specifically, HUD is looking for projects that “end homelessness for all persons experiencing homelessness” and “use a Housing First approach.”  Read More ›

Download the report here. Shoddy Data Hid Failed State of Homelessness Program, Study Shows Seattle, WA – A study from the Fix Homelessness Initiative of Discovery Institute reveals the expensive failure of the government to run a now-defunct downtown outreach program in Seattle funded by the region’s leading foundations and corporations. It also reveals a lack of transparency from non-profits receiving millions in contracts from King County to address homelessness. “Information about the downtown program is hard to come by,” said Caitlyn Axe of Discovery Institute “But the data we have reveals ineffective use of millions in funding while private nonprofits are accomplishing far more with far less.” Axe’s research examined the multi-million dollar Partnership for Zero (PfZ) homelessness program Read More ›

Listen to Robert Marbut discuss how to solve the mental health crisis with radio host Ari Hoffman on KVI. Listen now to the August 29 episode.

In Case You’re Wondering During Wednesday night’s Republican primary debate, FOX News anchor Martha MacCallum cited data showing homelessness in America is up 11% in the past few years, “the largest jump in recorded history.” The candidates were asked about their position on this issue. But the conversation ended up being dominated by crime, drugs, and public safety. We have to follow up on the homeless crisis topic at the next debate. We have to know what the GOP candidates are going to do about one of the most pressing issues facing this nation, especially in West Coast cities. Because the current “housing first” national plan is failing.

Why are they letting crime run rampant in cities? Why don’t they mandate treatment to the people living and dying on the streets? Watch Michael Shellenberger speak on the ideology behind progressive cities allowing their citizens to live and die on the streets. Shellenberger created the North America Recovers Coalition that Discovery Institute is proud to be a founding member of. Watch the speech here. Read some highlights here: My own journey on this issue began after writing Apocalypse Never. I was getting ready to go on book tour, and save nuclear plants around the world, and then covid hit. It was very disorienting, as all of you can remember  I found myself feeling sad about it. I’ve been teaching myself Read More ›

Arguably Worst Month for Governor Jay Inslee July was a total disaster when it comes to the homeless crisis exploding on Washington State Dept. of Transportation (@wsdot) right of ways. National media picked up on the insanity being built on WSDOT properties like the notorious West Seattle swimming pool, homeless cave/underground tunnel system, and EWOK Village in the trees. Making matters worse, this week a DRUG WAR involving homemade BOMBS caused one of the largest explosions in downtown Seattle along I-5. The Mayor of Seattle had to go in and clear the encampment since it was taking the state way too long to address this emergency. And there are still more than 2K encampments on state right of ways with Read More ›

Officials Respond to Encampment Inferno Monday morning, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) spoke publicly for the first time about the I-5 fire last week on a WSDOT (@wsdot) right of way in downtown. The Mayor would not go into details, but I could tell he was frustrated as he tries to maintain a positive working relationship with state agencies. The city continues to make progress with illegal camping, but the ones on WSDOT properties are being cleared at a much slower rate. As for this ARSON investigation, multiple sources say it was related to a DRUG TURF WAR. Two fellas were allegedly selling drugs out of tents and got into a beef. One guy retaliated by tossing an “accelerant,” causing Read More ›

Under Pressure Ballard is now dealing with a new wave of homeless encampment related shootings and clusters of tents popping up in certain parts of the neighborhood, especially along NW Leary Way. I spoke to Councilmember Dan Strauss (@CMDanStrauss) about his plan to address this on going crisis in the district.

Washington, D.C – Discovery President Steve Buri, Senior Fellow Robert Marbut, and Senior Fellow Wesley J. Smith spoke at a Faith and Law forum on Capitol Hill. Below is a summary from faithandlaw.org. Watch the forum and read more here. For nearly a decade, federal policies meant to address homelessness have centered around “Housing First,” which begins with an assumption that the crisis is driven primarily by a lack of affordable housing. But is it really? Studies show that most individuals experiencing homelessness suffer from severe addiction, untreated mental illness, or a combination of the two. Others end up on the streets because they have no one to turn to, typically owing to broken familial relationships. It’s time for a Read More ›

Breaking Embattled #Seattle Councilmember Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) loses another major endorsement from a community leader. This time it’s Joy Shigaki, President & CEO of Friends of Waterfront Seattle (@friendsWFS.) Lewis is getting hammered by many biz owners in downtown who expected him to vote YES on the drug bill that would have given City Attorney Ann Davison (@_Ann_Davison_) the power to prosecute illegal drug use and possession in public. Instead, he voted against it. Earlier in the week Jon Scholes, President & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association (@downtownseattle) had his name removed from Lewis’s endorsement page. I’m being told others are still wavering and more could head for the doors. LEWIS ENDORSEMENT PAGE: Scholes Distances Himself Jon Scholes (@downtownseattle) Read More ›