fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, seattle city council, seattle health, seattle justice

Miracle on Third Avenue

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, seattle city council, seattle health, seattle justice
Miracle on Third Avenue

Only a week ago a KOMO-TV news crew at the 3rd and Union bus stop caught a Chicago tourist rolling his suitcase through drug deals and fencing operations saying, “We don’t see this at home!”  Within days the scene changed dramatically thanks to an intense public/private effort.

The media, commercial and residential neighbors and the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) deserve credit for keeping the spotlight on the scene of this dual crime and public health crisis. District 7 Council Member Andrew Lewis deserves credit for doggedly pursuing millions in funds, building coalitions and helping divert scarce social service resources to this hot spot. 

The boots on the ground team at the heart of the operation was coordinated by JustCARE and included the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ARCS), the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program and its counterpart, CoLEAD, REACH/Evergreen Treatment Services and the Wheeler Davis safety team. 

Almost every major City department aided in the recovery including the Human Services Department (HSD), Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Seattle Dept. of Transportation (SDOT) and the Seattle Police Department (SPD) along with King County Metro which operates a major bus stop on the block.

But after millions of dollars and thousands of people hours spent on humanitarian outreach and restoring the community’s use of a downtown block, the question remains: how will we maintain it?

Without a plan on the horizon, people are looking to Compassion Seattle, a City Charter Amendment that mandates specific actions and policies related to encampments in public areas. While many see the amendment as the City’s only hope, others believe it will infringe on the rights of the homeless.  

If you’re still unsure, tune in next Thursday, June 24th, when Belltown United has Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat moderating a panel of experts with competing views on Compassion Seattle and how best to solve Seattle’s homeless problem. To sign up for this free online event, click here.

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle, seattlecitycouncil, justice, seattlejusticeComment

District 7 Council Candidates Answer Key Questions

After researching all of candidates in the District 7 Seattle City Council race, attending a number of Candidate Forums, and talking with the five we thought were best aligned with our values and downtown livability, we emailed each of them a list of five key questions and asked for short, succinct answers. Below are the answers we received, in alphabetical order, without edits:

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle, seattlecitycouncil, justice, seattlejusticeComment
District 7 Council Candidates Answer Key Questions
fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, seattle city council, seattlecitycouncil, social services, seattle crisis

Civic coalition wants to make Seattle’s homeless response part of the City Charter

As Seattle’s homeless crisis enters its sixth year, civic coalition Compassion Seattle is proposing a new approach and increased accountability. The group is seeking an amendment to the City Charter that details City Hall's obligation to fund and provide for those facing chronic homelessness and take responsibility for keeping City streets and parks free of encampments. Coalition member and former Council Member Tim Burgess explains.

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, seattle city council, seattlecitycouncil, social services, seattle crisis
Civic coalition wants to make Seattle’s homeless response part of the City Charter
fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, compassion, seattle livability, seattle city council, seattlepolitics

'Compassion' amendment calls for accountability but do the numbers add up?

Compassion Seattle sounds promising – but raises a lot of questions for Belltown activist Steve Horvath. He crunched the numbers and wants to find out if the group has fully accounted for the bottom line costs to Seattle.

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle homeless, compassion, seattle livability, seattle city council, seattlepolitics
'Compassion' amendment calls for accountability but do the numbers add up?
fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle health, seattle homeless, seattle livability, hygiene, seattle downtown

To pee or not to pee? That is the question . . . .

And the answer is “not” if you’re downtown—at least not easily. Seattle’s lack of public toilets is sometimes grossly evident and has a controversial past. One business owner thinks it’s time to address this public health issue head on with the help of new federal relief funds.

fairness and justice, LivabilityDRA Seattleseattle health, seattle homeless, seattle livability, hygiene, seattle downtown
To pee or not to pee? That is the question . . . .
fairness and justice, Livability, Residential Dev StandardsDRA Seattleseattle homeless, compassion, seattle city council, mayor, seattle health, seattlepolitics

Compassion Seattle: Is it time for a leap of faith?

As Charter Amendment 29 awaits certification for the November ballot, expect more hot debate on this important but flawed legislation borne from the City’s six-year paralysis addressing the homelessness crisis. If you’re still on the fence, Belltown United recently hosted a definitive short course to inform your vote.

fairness and justice, Livability, Residential Dev StandardsDRA Seattleseattle homeless, compassion, seattle city council, mayor, seattle health, seattlepolitics
Compassion Seattle: Is it time for a leap of faith?