Housing First | Change Washington

Former Democrats explain why we need new homelessness policies

Since the Obama Administration adopted the Housing First model in 2014, homelessness has increased: The Trump Administration’s July 24 Executive Order (EO) has shaken up how our country will confront its homelessness crisis, especially in how we attempt to help the overwhelming majority of destitute individuals suffering with mental illness and drug addiction. Essentially the...

Fresh Federal Direction Could Turn the Tide on Homelessness in Washington

Last week’s executive order from the Trump Administration firmly declared that the federal government is changing its homeless strategy after more than a decade of disappointing results from Housing First policies. These orders have brought encouragement to those who support more resources for addiction and mental health treatment and angered those who financially benefit from...

Breaking: Trump orders roll back of disastrous Housing First strategy on homelessness

Today, the Trump Administration began to dismantle the ineffective and costly Housing First homelessness policies, which have caused the country’s homeless problem to become even worse. The Obama-era policy resulted in a record-breaking 770,000 people to suffer on our streets during the last year of the Biden Administration. In Washington state, homelessness rose 78% since...

Homeless strategy is increasing the number who suffer in Washington

This is the third article of three on the various costs associated with homelessness. In this article we examine the costs associated with government-funded services and the lack of accountability of taxpayer funds. We also look at whether these services are attracting homeless individuals from other states. King County politicians boast that they work with...

Breaking the Cycle: Why Self-Sufficiency Must Replace Perpetual Care

This article is the second in ChangeWA’s three-part series on the increasing costs of our region’s homeless strategy. We asked treatment advocate and founder of the O-UT Program Ginny Burton to examine the long-term costs associated with current policies addressing homelessness. ChangeWA supports a treatment-based approach to homelessness. Data shows that the expensive “Housing First” method has...

Washington: The destination state for America’s homeless population

This is the first in a three-part series, “The Cost of Homelessness.” Failed “Housing First” homeless policies have resulted in more people suffering on our streets. In turn, this puts more stress on local taxpayers to fund the public services the growing homeless population requires. We will examine these startling costs and explore if focusing...

New documentary reveals why “Housing First” is a failed policy

ChangeWA has teamed with filmmaker V Ginny Burton to produce "Behind Closed Doors," a shocking 30-minute documentary which exposes the unsafe and drug-filled conditions within King County's low-barrier housing.

Seattle and King County’s disturbing results of Housing First and Harm Reduction

Two very troublesome facts were revealed last week which provide more evidence that the progressives’ “Housing First” homeless policy and “Harm Reduction” drug policy are failing to end the suffering that is taking place on our streets. These numbers are similar to those in other progressive West Coast cities and states. These facts require us...

A Housing-First Approach Won’t End Homelessness

By Ginny Burton In 2015 I secured my first position with one of Washington state’s largest nonprofits in Seattle. During my interview I was asked if I could explain harm reduction. My answer, which I called a friend ahead of time to inquire, was “meeting the person where they are at.” I didn’t really understand...