Seattle, WA
‘Encampments pose public safety issues:’ progressive Seattle councilmember changes tune
Councilmember Andrew Lewis, the council’s committee chair for homelessness, insists that homeless encampments are harmful, a sentiment that many Seattleites share— it effectively might need elected Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell— however is critical in that it may set the tone for town’s place on encampments transferring into the summer time.
A current removing of a homeless encampment outdoors of Seattle Metropolis Corridor— which concerned an abrupt motion by town following a standoff with an advocacy volunteer group “Cease the Sweeps” — drew criticism from homeless advocates for the shortage of sources offered by outreach coordinators on the time of the removing. That type of motion is a departure from the Seattle Metropolis Council’s pandemic-era homeless-response technique in months and years previous: now former Council President Lorena Gonzalez used “cease the sweeps” language in her bid for mayor.
In February, Councilmember Andrew Lewis had requested Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to sanction particular places for homeless encampments as town matriculates a extra coordinated and long-term answer to the perennial drawback. He has since backed off that method, calling encampments “inhumane,” necessitating extra direct motion on behalf of town to get individuals into transitional housing — Lewis referred to as out tiny home villages and JustCARE in an interview with KTTH’s Jason Rantz as examples of these housing choices.
Squaring the circle: Housing Seattle’s homeless as Metropolis austerity price range dawns
“I believe it’s serving to give voice to plenty of of us who’ve type of been within the middle of this dialogue, who’re saying, ‘look, encampments are inhumane, there must be one other manner,’” Lewis mentioned, referencing his current Seattle Occasions editorial that, broadly, tried to painting Lewis as having come out in favor of extra direct homeless encampment removing, as an vital predicate for facilitating motion into housing transition choices, after reviewing crime statistics associated to encampments. Lewis denied that with Rantz, saying “I wouldn’t characterize myself as being in favor of sweeps, essentially.”
Lewis as a substitute highlights the advantages of transitional housing choices akin to tiny properties when put next with violent crime statistics on Seattle encampments.
“Now we have these items that we all know work, we all know are fascinating, and we all know are, frankly, cheaper than the entire ancillary frustrations that include encampments.”
“You may’t put a worth, frankly, on the peace of thoughts of getting a group that may exit and take part in volunteering and managing their neighborhood tiny home village versus having an encampment, which poses public points for the group. It’s not as straightforward to say that we’re being a humane metropolis.”
Hearken to Andrew Lewis’ total interview with KTTH’s Jason Rantz right here:
