Kshama Sawant helps sell Real Change at Westlake Wednesday during #VendorWeek (Image: CHS)
District 3 representative Kshama Sawant is holding a public hearing Monday night as she calls on her cohorts in Seattle City Hall to restore funding to shelters that lost city contracts in recent rounds of budget belt tightening.
“Rents are out of control in Seattle, leading to a serious spike in homelessness,” Sawant writes. “In the midst of this crisis, the political establishment of this city is cutting funding to desperately needed homeless shelters and services.”
Sawant says programs “providing a lifeline for homeless women” were cut “resulting in the loss of 249 shelter beds. “Following community outrage, incoming Mayor Durkan temporarily restored funding for a few months,” Sawant writes. “But the cuts have not been reversed, and are being justified in the name of a strategic shift towards permanent housing.”
In November, the city announced $34 million in city contracts under an overhaul of the city’s funding for homelessness services. The changes meant a few — including Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (SHARE) and Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL) — lost their funding completely.
SHARE and WHEEL both provide emergency shelter facilities that have fallen out of favor with some city officials who increasingly champion programs focused on more permanent housing solutions.
Sawant said Monday’s hearing will be followed by “a midyear budget amendment to restore the funding to these essential services,”
Pack City Hall! Stop Cuts to Women’s Shelters, Homeless Services
I don’t think I believe that the shelters are hurting for funds. Aren’t there, like, millions of dollars being thrown at the homeless problem?
We should first focus on shelter beds and banning camping outdoors. Once everyone is off the street, focus on getting people into permanent housing.
All the shelter beds in the world and all the housing won’t help at all until there is *treatment* – mental and addiction, and it’s not optional.
Yup. And even with a surplus of shelter beds, there will be a certain % of people who prefer to remain outside of them. We need to deal with whatever issues make people think they’re somehow better off or more comfortable being outside, than being in a shelter and off the streets.
The City made a policy decision to only fund homelessness services and agencies that are actually making a difference, and discontinue money to those who just perpetuate the status quo. I think this policy is wise and should be respected. Of course those agencies who lost funding are going to complain, but they should have cleaned up their act when they had the chance.
Council person Sawant states, “In the midst of this crisis, the political establishment of this city is cutting funding to desperately needed homeless shelters and services.” Actually, we’ve increased funds for battling the homeless problem. The new mayor is thankfully implementing a review process so we fund the ones that are working. The city funded two studies that both concludes we were spending enough on this problem, just not in the right areas. It’s really easy for Ms. Sawant to spend other people’s money.