On June 6th, the Seattle City Council narrowly voted down (by a 5-4 vote) a measure which would have given Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison the authority to prosecute those who violate the state’s drug possession and public use laws.  Seattle is unique since cities across Washington state, with a wide spectrum of political leanings,...

Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced a new plan to revive downtown Seattle. This includes a plan to tackle homelessness which gets to root issues like addictions, unlike previous plans which suggested increased spending and housing-first solutions.  “I believe that the fentanyl crisis on our streets is causing death and disorder, and I can’t mince words...

We’ve often remarked that if you can’t identify the source of a problem then you can’t solve it. When it comes to the ongoing homelessness crisis in Seattle, among the causes are dysfunctional or counterproductive organizations that undermine efforts to fix it. Thankfully, it seems Mayor Bruce Harrell has identified one of them. In June...

Earlier this year we wrote about how King County’s previous efforts to eliminate homelessness failed because those involved incorrectly diagnosed the root problem, warning that any future attempts to address the crisis needed to attack the real causes – substance abuse and mental illness.   Unfortunately, Mayor Bruce Harrell appears to be making many of...

If you were among those surprised to find most Seattle voters agree with you on issues like crime and homelessness, it’s likely because you assumed that the loudest voices in public reflected public sentiment. But it’s like with the city’s petty crime, in which a handful of serial offenders are committing most of it. Likewise,...

For years the city of Seattle and other regional entities have tried – and failed – to reduce homelessness in their communities. We’ve argued that the reason for this is that they ignored or downplayed the primary causes – substance abuse and mental health issues – under the belief that housing availability or affordability is...