The Harrell administration is making the case for new spending to support a proposed Unified Care Team plan that would help maintain “clean and accessible Seattle neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces” including sweeping encampments and clearing tents from public spaces like parks.
The proposal comes as part of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s focus on public safety and cleanliness that he has coupled with proposals to provide more services and housing to address the city’s homelessness crisis.
This week, Harrell has called on the Seattle City Council to support the plan including nearly $40 million for “clean city, trash mitigation, encampment resolution, and RV remediation initiatives” —
- $38.2 million to maintain and improve current levels of service for clean city, trash mitigation, encampment resolution, and RV remediation initiatives. This will ensure communities do not see a reduction in service levels by providing ongoing funding, and replaces current temporary jobs with permanent, full-time roles.
- New investments to support a more responsive structure through neighborhood-based services and outreach, which includes:
- 150% increase in employees who will engage with stakeholders, services providers, the RHA and unhoused residents to facilitate connections to community resources and city services.
- New resources to improve coordination, training, and team deployment; strengthen customer service response capacity; and enhance data collection and analysis.
CHS reported here on the administration’s 2023 budget proposals including the Unified Care Team plan, increased spending for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority and new spending for Seattle Police.
The Seattle City Council is now debating the mayor’s budget proposal including possible new spending, cuts, and more changes in the annual fall process slated to wrap up next month.
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It is an uphill battle, but I appreciate that Mayor Harrell is trying to get people the help they need and cleaning up public spaces. His predecessor and the city council were in denial about the rough sleepers being primarily drug addicts and the mentally ill. They were in denial that Seattle’s permissive policies had become a magnet for drifters. They were in denial that allowing encampment to fester increased crime and disorder. They were in denial that the encampments were having a very real impact on residents and businesses. They were in denial that “stop the sweeps” was not a compassionate policy, and in fact led to increased overdose deaths and gang activity.
You write the truth! I have been generally skeptical that allocating even more money to homelessness is the answer, as it certainly has not been the case in the past, but I think Mayor Harrell’s specific plans might result in real improvement in the current, unacceptable situation.
Go Harrell until there is not a single tent in sight
This is so gross. Hate this attitude.
Gross is just allowing people to slowly kill themselves while destroying our open spaces by letting them choose to stay in parks because they there they have no rules…
This mentality has led to people putting tents on pallets in neighborhood trees, so thanks for that 🤦♂️ We need housing and services, or there will always be more tents
That has my support
Driving around Seattle is such a heart breaking affair these days. The City’s infrastructure was dilapidated (unswept roads, graffiti everywhere, roads and sidewalks in disrepair, unkempt parks, and of course trashes everywhere esp around homeless camps). You visit Vancouver or just Bellevue/Kirkland, you come home heart broke a little.
People in Seattle deserve more.
Don’t think Harrell would fix them all, at least he is busy doing something than virtual signaling.
Anyone that has lived here long enough to know that it used to be great is heartbroken. I used to be a a lot more progressive, but the Seattle progressives broke this city with their ideological BS policies and and denialism. I watched the rot set in and the spin from the leftist city council. They cynically grew their base and pocketbook by fueling the dystopia. Until we vote them out and re-establish societal norms and ban camping like any first world city outside the west coast, Seattle will be circling the drain.
Bellevue is grossly sterile and full of east side yuppies and bars that close at 9 pm. I am so glad we aren’t like them.
If I go to Bellevue, I cannot wait to return to Seattle. Bellevue is so boring.
Great – more anti-houseless nonsense from this awful mayor!
The mayor has been adamant about housing the homeless. What he isn’t for is the status quo of the homeless living in squalor, human waste and garbage everywhere nor continuing to allow open air drug use and dealing that the permissive policies have allowed. But not only is it destroying the city it is destroying the lives of the people that are in that situation and attracting more people to the area whose lives will be destroyed. The council has been a huge roadblock to actually helping people.
Then why is he sweeping people like my brother who has both a job and is disabled but has to live in his car due to high medical bills? He is killing my houseless brother doing all this sweeping nonsense that is a proven failure.
I feel for your brother, our medical system is horrible and way more expensive than it should be. I hope your brother gets services through these sweeps and is housed soon with help from the city or friends et al. A friend and a cousin went through the same thing.