What is a solution to seattles growing homeless population? (Kirkland: 2015, apartments)

[annonymous0381]

I have only lived in northgate Seattle since July 2015. In my over a year of living here i have noticed the homeless population around town get bigger and bigger. Even on the eastside im noticing a bigger homeless population. Where do these people come from? Why are they homeless to begin with?? What are solutions to the homeless crises??

On the bus the other day from Kirkland to downtown seattle there was a homeless man drinking whiskey on the bus getting drunk and he even started hitting passamgers on the bus. The sheriff removed him from the bus. Last night i was taking a bus from bellevue to Kirkland and there was 2 homeless woman taking a bus to a homeless shelter at a church in Kirkland.

At the park near my apartment which is infront of the targrt and best buy building there are tons of homeless people spending the night now. A year ago this park had no homeless people.

Often if i have leftover food that im not going to eat i walk it over to homeless people in the park and they are greatful.

Some people blame high rising apartment prices in seattle for our homeless problem. Is this really the reason??

[Hemlock140]

Those at the shelter in Kirkland are mostly working, but have no money for a deposit on an apartment, or can't afford the high rent. Those on the streets in Seattle or Eastside woods are more often from other states, and moved here because of the mild climate, the generous tourists for panhandling, and the tolerance of the police. The numbers will continue to grow as long as nothing is done about it. The city seems to be just moving them around from one place to another.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Those at the shelter in Kirkland are mostly working, but have no money for a deposit on an apartment, or can't afford the high rent. Those on the streets in Seattle or Eastside woods are more often from other states, and moved here because of the mild climate, the generous tourists for panhandling, and the tolerance of the police. The numbers will continue to grow as long as nothing is done about it. The city seems to be just moving them around from one place to another.

I really hope those at the Kirkland shelter move to apartments or find a room to rent. Being homeless isnt fun.

[hurricane harry]

They are here because the mayor welcomes them with open arms and they get free stuff. Simple as that.

[cmswazey]

We've had many homeless long before the housing boom.

Many of them have substance abuse or mental health problems. They commit crimes.

[Minntoaz]

ME!!! I got this!!!! I just did a huge project on this.... Over 70% of the homeless population is mentally ill. Guess who ranks 49th out of 50 for mental health services? Washington! Guess who we are failing? That's right the mentally ill folks of this state. This state is VERY much about the rights of the mentally ill. Each individual who is involuntarily committed has a public attorney and that attorney will believe every word that comes out of that disoriented and mentally sick persons mouth, they will fight to get them out. So we have the mental health professionals who are trying to help against the judicial system. It's costing the taxpayers far more than it should. Did you know that due to most of the homeless population being uninsured they spend thousands of dollars annually per person in the ER because they can not get into clinics and urgent care centers without insurance. How backwards is that? An ER will accept uninsured by there are no clinics that have 24/7 hours that will.

So mental health care here is severely lacking and it needs help.

[CrazyDonkey]

If the same number of persons were rendered homeless due to a natural disaster, we would be building large trailer/manufactured-building parks in the county, using FEMA funds, providing sanitation, garbage, power, water, laundry, transportation, internet, communication, mail, health/social services, daycare, etc. Many people after Katrina, for instance, were also assisted in relocating to other areas that had available housing/services.

The primary reasons we don't do that for those rendered homeless for other than natural disasters are 1) lack of federal or other funding and 2) that they are more or less considered to be culpable, whether morally or not, for their situation and should, thus, be left to stew in their own juices. That social, economic, and political forces are having much larger effects than personal choice is ignored, perhaps due to anxiety that "as you go, so may I".