homelessness

On April 28, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a $254 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026, which focuses heavily on improving the safety of New York City’s subway system. As part of this effort, the budget includes provisions to enforce laws and beef up police presence. But Governor Hochul’s budget also addresses a related issue: tackling homelessness and treating severe mental illness. The budget includes $25 million for “welcome centers” that will connect homeless and mentally ill people on the subway with essential services. An additional $16.5 million will be set aside for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, $2 million will go to staffing in the Office of Mental Health, and $160 million will create 100 inpatient psychiatric beds. Additionally, Kendra’s Law Read More ›

Downtown Chaos Hurts Business Owners The owner of a limousine service says he might be exiting Seattle after a homeless drug addict went on a rampage and trashed one of his vehicles. This happened right after clients were dropped off at the Post Malone and Jelly Roll concert in T-Mobile Park. Even though the suspect was arrested, the limo owner is now blasting Mayor Bruce Harrell for enabling chaos on the streets which continues to hurt small business owners. Lake Tapps Limousine The trashed limo will be out of commission for several weeks, which also takes away work from several drivers. Otherwise, Lake Tapps still serves the Seattle area and has high ratings. To support them during this time, hire Read More ›

Welcome to Seattle Sold out crowd Tuesday evening to watch Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark take on the Seattle Storm. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for WNBA fans, indie music station KEXP, Climate Pledge Arena, and Mayor Bruce Harrell allowed a homeless fella to set up his entire living room on the sidewalk. Zero enforcement. What a way to showcase your city.

Fencing Is Up! The fencing is up around the former Joann Fabrics location in Ballard. Problem is, all the homeless drug addicts are now spilling into the streets and some are sleeping overnight in Ballard Commons Park. Where’s Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Dan Strauss? This is now the city’s problems.

The City Turns a Blind Eye Seattle’s latest out-of-control drug encampment is the former Joann Fabrics site in Ballard. Business owners and neighbors say Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Dan Strauss have totally ignored this problem since this is happening on private property. But dozens of drug addicts have trashed the area and all the crime and chaos from this location keeps spilling into the side streets. Meanwhile, one guy living in a tent told me he’s rejecting free housing because the provider requires all dogs to be neutered. 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.

We Heart Seattle’s “Recovery First” Model is Working Seattle voters say the homeless drug crisis remains a top three issue. But the Harrell administration is still engaged in a game of Whack-a-Mole and has failed to find long-term solutions. That’s because they’re not addressing the drivers of this humanitarian disaster which include drug addiction, mental illness, and broken relationships. Instead, city officials are touting the wrong metrics for success such as the number of tents removed from the streets. Meanwhile, We Heart Seattle’s “recovery first” intervention model is working. And they’re outreach workers have identified some new patterns that are keeping so many people in this vicious cycle. I followed them in this Center on Wealth & Poverty mini-documentary.

The Tent That Broke the Camel’s Back This dude living in a tent is one of the reasons why Microsoft pulled its prestigious developer’s conference from downtown Seattle. Meanwhile, Mayor Bruce Harrell remains clueless on how to address the mental health crisis on the streets. It’s costing the city millions in tourism dollars.

Breaking I have obtained the internal memo outlining reasons behind Microsoft Build’s exit from Seattle. This is an absolute indictment on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration and shows his failure to get the homeless drug crisis under control. Seeking Next Location Microsoft Build says it has “struggled to find its footing and identity post-Covid.” It appears Las Vegas and San Francisco are two locations already being floated around for its next developers conference. Urban Decay “was a contributing factor to their final decision” But here’s the real kicker. Redmond, WA-based Microsoft is done walking around tents, urban filth, and open-air drug use in Seattle’s downtown core. Mayor Harrell had nearly four years in office to handle this problem but has failed Read More ›

Breaking Seattle restauranteur David Meinert says the massive Microsoft Build developer conference won’t be returning to Seattle next year after attendees complained about urban decay, open-air drug use, and numerous tents lining the streets. Mayor Bruce Harrell Meinert is also torching Mayor Bruce Harrell for allowing these conditions to prosper in the downtown core and claims the Downtown Activation plan is bloated with bureaucracy and is lacking leadership. Disruptions Pro-Hamas protesters also disrupted Microsoft Build 2025 in Seattle, harassing attendees with insane glitter bombs. Lone Tent Downtown residents say this is the lone tent the city has failed to remove near the Seattle Convention Center. It has been reported to the Find It Fix it app numerous times. More Complaints Read More ›