Compassion Seattle, the latest civic drive to end homelessness, proposes it would be best accomplished through City Charter mandate. But proposal numbers seem incomplete compared to estimates of unhoused people and their needs. And, once codified, the City’s compliance and funding will become law. Belltown activist Steve Horvath has crunched the numbers and asks if the group’s political calculus has fully accounted for the bottom line costs to Seattle.

I'm not sure about you, but I have more questions than answers related to the City of Seattle charter amendment proposed by Compassion Seattle.  The questions you see below have also been sent to info@compassionseattle.org since the official Compassion Seattle FAQ does not address them. The charter amendment calls for all of the following (and more): 

• REQUIREMENT: Construction of 2,000 additional emergency and/or permanent shelter units.

• QUESTION 1: Since there are currently more than 2,000 unsheltered persons living in Seattle, why stop at 2,000? How many people are there to shelter? This GeekWire article references 11,000 people are homeless in Seattle.

• REQUIREMENT: As emergency and permanent housing are available, the City shall ensure that City parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces and sidewalks and streets (“public spaces”) remain open and clear of encampments.

• QUESTION 2: If there isn't enough shelter available, even after building 2,000 more units, are people allowed to continue camping in parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces, sidewalks and streets?

• QUESTION 3: If more people without shelter end up in Seattle, does this charter amendment essentially require that we construct an unlimited amount of shelter in order to make “housing available”? Could Seattle become our nation’s Shelter City?

• REQUIREMENT: Additionally, consistent with the City’s public safety obligations, programs shall be implemented to divert individuals from the criminal justice system whose law violations are connected to a lack of housing, income instability, or behavioral health issues.

·       QUESTION 4: The Seattle Public Defender Association has a role in LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) and Co-LEAD. 

o   What other programs are appropriate and necessary? 

o   Does this requirement help solidify a proposal by Council Member Lisa Herbold in Q4 2020 to create additional defenses for crimes perpetrated to satisfy basic needs?   SCC Insight covered the basic needs proposal thoroughly. Here's my brief.

• REQUIREMENT: Contribute 12% ($196MM) of the City's General Fund ($1.6B) toward a Human Services Fund

·       QUESTION 5: How much money is required to fund all of the appropriate services and shelter to address Seattle’s multiple human crises (homelessness, drug addiction and mental health) both now and over the next 5-10 years? 

·       The City's 2021 Health and Human Services budget was proposed as ~$269MM.  ~$129MM of that is specifically tagged for "Addressing Homelessness".  12% of the General Fund is a modest ~$19MM bump to what we already contribute.

o   The JustCARE program kicked off in 2021 serving 131 chronically homeless persons in need of multiple services.  January and February 2021 saw spending an average of $9,269 per person per month.  That figure is budgeted to drop to $5,820 per person per month by September with 288 persons enrolled.  There is no JustCARE funding or budget plan identified after September 2021. JustCARE outreach data review.

o   JustCARE is one of several programs working to address both shelter and services; however, this SCC Insight article identifies JustCARE as the most comprehensive program of wraparound services.

·       The Seattle Times' Danny Westneat suggests that 2,000 additional shelter units will cost $50MM to $100MM annually.

o   I'm not convinced.  Moreover, I'm not convinced that 2,000 units is nearly enough to provide for everyone who needs shelter.

FINAL QUESTIONS 

An amendment will be a mandate for years to come. Before signing, ask:

• How many people need shelter now? How many will need shelter in 5 years? In 10 years?

  • What are the key demographics and service needs across the entire unsheltered population?

    • How many people can receive rehabilitation, support, training and then re-enter the workforce to provide for themselves?

    • How many people need permanent supportive housing because they have, sadly, reached the end of the line?

• How many units of permanent and emergency shelter are currently available and how many units are already under construction or contract?

• Where is all the funding coming from? What will the City of Seattle contribute? What will King County contribute? What will the Federal Government contribute?

A City Charter amendment may feel like a concrete step to end homelessness, but without accurate numbers, it may end up as another misstep in solving this illusive and long running problem.