Seattle

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 ›

Drug Addiction Run Wild Some King County Metro bus drivers say they feel unsafe and would prefer to avoid the Little Saigon stop at 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID. Can you blame them? Many of the passengers boarding here are criminal drug addicts and use these buses to transport stolen merchandise. It’s the worst kept secret. It’s lawless in Seattle.

Buying Fentanyl is “Cheaper than Kool-Aid” The latest drug encampment in Seattle is exploding out of control in Chinatown-ID. The entire area above the former Viet Wah grocery store on Jackson St. has repopulated with more than 20 tents. When I visited Monday afternoon, addicts were doing fentanyl and passed out. Everyone rejected offers for treatment. One guy said buying fetty was “cheaper than Kool-Aid.” The Sweeps Have Stopped I reported on this disaster last August. The city came in and cleared it. But with Mayor Bruce Harrell leaving office at the end of the year, it appears sweeps have slowed down to a halt in some instances. Housing First Has Failed Once again, this is not an affordable housing Read More ›

Seattle’s incoming mayor, Katie Wilson, will inherit a homelessness crisis that will define her ability to lead. Seattle’s homeless population needs more than another round of aspirational promises. They need and deserve an operational reset grounded in compassion, accountability, and the courage to confront realities the city has failed to address for years. She must replace press releases and ceremonial groundbreaking for housing that may never materialize with programs that support the homeless in reclaiming their lives from the grip of untreated mental illness, addiction, and dangerous encampments that have taken root throughout the city. The scale of Seattle’s crisis is staggering. HUD’s 2024 Point-in-Time count identified 16,868 people struggling with homelessness in King County — 7,058 sheltered and 9,810 Read More ›

“We Call Every Week, But They Just Keep Ignoring” Christmas shopping is underway in downtown Seattle. But if you are looking for a good deal on stolen items, head to Chinatown-ID. Late Saturday evening, 12th Ave & Jackson St remains a total train wreck. Drug addicts are passed out in vestibules, the mentally ill are flailing in the streets, and cops are driving by without enforcing the law. The vast majority of the people admit they are not homeless. They are here to score drugs. Outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell has failed this Asian American community after pushing “Housing First” and “harm reduction” policies that are not working. He allowed this neighborhood to turn into a containment zone and human dumping Read More ›

As Seattle considers sanctioned homeless camps again, we stand at a familiar crossroads. I’ve spent five years with We Heart Seattle doing boots-on-the-ground outreach and cleanup, alongside lived experience advisors who have worked in and managed prior sanctioned camps, including Share/Wheel, Nickelsville, Camp United We Stand, and run low-barrier shelters. We’ve seen what fails. More importantly, we know what could work. The skepticism about sanctioned camps is warranted. Past attempts became semi-permanent encampments with no path forward. But dismissing the concept entirely ignores a critical gap in our system: where do people go when they’re too unstable for housing but desperate to get off the streets? Seattle’s homeless crisis isn’t one problem—it’s many. The “crisis population” living on our streets Read More ›

Lengthy Standoff Massive police response late Tuesday evening to Interbay Place in Seattle’s West Queen Anne neighborhood. Cops arrested 28 year old Benjamin G. White after a lengthy standoff. He allegedly threatened to kill another resident with a knife and barricaded himself in a room. While in custody, White reportedly bit, kicked, and spat on officers. This is just the latest Downtown Emergency Service Center property responsible for more chaos in the community. DESC remains the crown jewel in the region’s homeless industrial complex. Trespassed I’ve been exposing taxpayer funded DESC now for more than five years. And this Housing First provider hates it. The leaders have officially banned me from their properties. My mug is now on pretty much Read More ›

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.

Last week’s The Great Debate hosted by The Emperor’s Group and We Heart Seattle at the Washington Athletic Club was attended by hundreds of voters. And one thing was abundantly clear: Seattle’s approach to our behavioral health crisis needs immediate reinforcement. As someone working daily with the city’s most vulnerable residents, I believe we can chart a compassionate course that honors both human dignity and public safety. The solution isn’t about choosing between “Harm Reduction” drug policies and accountability—it’s about creating a comprehensive system that meets people in crisis where they are and guides them toward recovery and independence. At We Heart Seattle, our street team—composed entirely of people in recovery—connects two to three individuals to treatment every week. This Read More ›

Drug Addicts Contribute to Dangerous Conditions Horrific scene Sunday morning in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood. Cops say a semi-truck driver hit a man crossing the street at the intersection of 12th Ave S. & S. King St. Investigators say the driver was not impaired. No one was arrested. This appears to be a tragic accident. Meanwhile, this area is arguably one of the most dangerous intersections in the city. You have construction going on, drug addicts walking around like zombies, and cars are constantly zooming through the streets.