`Visionary' plan would put `a roof over every bed in King County' by 2014 (Seattle hasn't learned)

The King County Journal ^ | March 12, 2004 | Jeff Switzer

[Stoat]

`Visionary' plan would put `a roof over every bed in King County' by 2014

2005-03-12
by Jeff Switzer
Journal Reporter
 

A first-ever plan to end homelessness in King County -- not just manage it -- was issued Friday with a target date of 2014.

But the pricetag to meet the vision of ``a roof over every bed in King County'' could be from $680 million to $1 billion.

``If we set our sights high, that everybody in King County would have a house, it sets for us a standard we'll be always chasing,'' said Jeff Natter, newly named program director of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County. ``It's a visionary document that aims very high.''

The plan is the first regionwide attempt to address homelessness and is the culmination of more than two years of work by the Committee to End Homelessness in King County, a coalition of religious groups, governments and social agencies.

The group's 52-page plan was approved Monday and released Friday.

The challenge is mighty, but the enthusiasm is high, Natter said.

``There is so much goodwill invested in this plan,'' Natter said. ``One of my main goals is to expand that goodwill, to all businesses, political arenas and even the person on the street.''

Similar 10-year plans have been adopted around the country and in Pierce County. One such plan also is under way for all of Washington state, Natter said. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has made such plans a requirement.

King County has a broad effort in place to manage homelessness, Natter said, but over time it has become fragmented.

``We're asked to create social change at time when federal and state funding is in crisis in terms of the social programs we know we need to make this plan effective,'' Natter said.

Different organizations throughout the county now have transitional housing, shelter beds, and homeless housing for families and youths. There are also two roving tent cities-- one on the Eastside and one in Seattle -- seen as an interim step between a lack of shelter beds and the street, and also used by homeless couples and working homeless for those who need a place outside of traditional overnight shelter hours.

``The focus of our work has been to manage homelessness rather than end homelessness,'' Natter said. The plan hopes to change that, he said.

Plan supporters hope to lock up 5,000 existing housing units and create nearly 4,500 new houses or apartments for homeless men and women.

``We need to create some new housing stock and manage our current housing stock, and make sure places are affordable, and vacancy rates are nonexistent,'' Natter said.

Some of the needed millions might come from federal funds and grants already flowing into the area, diverted and focused to solve the problem of homelessness and steered away from transitional housing and into permanent housing. The rest will have to be found elsewhere.

A governing board to implement the plan will be created by summertime, Natter said. Such a group will help create the political momentum needed to allocate the needed funds and make the changes.

TENT CITY WINS PERMIT

KIRKLAND-- Tent City 4 can stay on church property across from City Hall for the next 60 days, and the City Council might consider a temporary ordinance to allow 30 days more.

The provisions are part of a permit issued Friday by city Planning Director Eric Shields. Other requirements of Tent City organizers and residents is that they meet health codes, allow safety inspections, follow the camp's code of conduct barring violence, drugs and alcohol, and observe quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Camp organizers must seek identification of residents as they come into the camp and screen for sex offenders and those with police arrest warrants.

The camp is hosted by Kirkland Congregational Church and was set up on Feb. 19. The permit can be appealed by March 25 to the city's hearing examiner.

ENDING HOMELESSNESS

In 2002, the Committee to End Homelessness was created composed of eight groups: the Church Council of Greater Seattle; the City of Seattle; Eastside Human Services Alliance; King County; North Urban Human Services Alliance; Seattle-King County Coalition for the Homeless; South King County Council of Human Services; and United Way of King County.

It is estimated that more than 8,000 people are homeless in King County each night. This includes:

* 420 youth and young adults up to age 24

* 2,475 people in families

* 5,105 single adults, including 2,500 that meet the federal definition for chronically homeless

THE PLAN

By the end of 2014:

* Homelessness will be virtually ended.

* People who become homeless will have immediate access to housing with appropriate support.

* Outreach and emergency services will be reduced, but will continue to aid individuals and families who become homeless; stays in the system will be short.

* There will be no need for tent cities or encampments.

Source: http://www.cehkc.org

 

 

[Stoat]

Just when you thought that things couldn't get worse in Seattle /King County, now every bum on the planet will be making a beeline here....not to mention a NEW bottomless pit for bureaucrats to throw MY money into....

I'm so terribly embarrassed to be a Seattleite "sigh"

[Libertarianize the GOP]

I should sell all of my assets and invest them, then move to Seattle and get a free house, with a fair return from the market over the next twenty years and my expenses paid by King County I could retire rich.

[clb]

What kind of return would you really expect to get from a government built house, with neighbors who would be homeless except for your tax generosity?

[Libertarianize the GOP]

My current net worth invested in the market would provide a nice retirement in twenty years. I thought King County would cover my expenses for the next twenty years so that I wouldn't have to work.

[DoughtyOne]

I've got to visit Seattle some time. The view of their "pie in the sky" would be worth the trip.

Hey Seattle, what's going to happen when word gets out that you're putting a "FREE" roof over people's beds? Greyhound is going to love you guys.

FREE is a very loose term here. Nothing is free and that $1 billion will become $20 and never even slow down...

[snarks_when_bored]

Right. The 'planners' in Seattle had also better draw up plans to keep out the tsunami of in-coming homeless people. How do you suppose they're going to do that? A fence around Seattle? Special enforcement personnel with rights to taser on sight?

[woofer]

I should sell all of my assets and invest them, then move to Seattle and get a free house, with a fair return from the market over the next twenty years and my expenses paid by King County I could retire rich.

I was trying to think how I could get one of those free houses, too. I like your idea. And, as a bonus, I'd get to start collecting my social security early! Or at least not have to pay into the Ponzi scheme anymore.

[backhoe]

It always involves spending lots of everybody else's money, doesn't it? And creating some sort of "Authority" ( read- unemployment insurance for political pals ) to manage it.

BTW, I lived on Vashon in the early eighties... and my tagline is from true life, and truer words were never spoken...

[bayareablues]

Well, housing is one thing, but aren't they going to need a little pocket-money for living expenses? Until Seattle ponies up at least $300 cash/month in addition to roofs, we'll never clean the streets up in San Francisco.

[skip_intro]

Let's say that a total of 6000 units will be built, since some of the estimated 8000 "homeless" are in families.

Six thousand into one billion comes to roughly $166,000 per unit.

Not a bad present to people who contribute absolutely nothing to society at large. Of course, this gift will attract even more "homeless", so I guess the citizens of Washington will be asked to contribute even more.

As a resident of Califoria, I love this proposal. Maybe even San Francisco could be made tolerable again.

[shezza]

OPM Utopia *bump*

[theDentist]

Perhaps you should consider moving elsewhere (someplace less "progressive").

[InterceptPoint]

I will quote Milton Friedman (approximately) concerning the law of supply and demand. He said that as the cost falls the demand rises and when the cost gets to ZERO then the demand becomes INFINITE.

So I say to Seattle: "Build it and they will come, and come, and come, and come, ....

[Leatherneck_MT]

I'm so terribly embarrassed to be a Seattleite "sigh"

You Tax payers need to move out and find another place to live. When the idiots in the Government see their Tax base shrinking, they will naturally up the ante and make more taxes thus driving more people out. Soon the only people living there will be the homeless and the dimwits in the government. When the homeless don't get their handouts, they will hang the dimwits and leave seattle. Then ya'll can move back and start over :)

[Stoat]

Perhaps you should consider moving elsewhere (someplace less "progressive").

Believe me, I would love to and would have done so years ago if it weren't a matter of personal responsibilities keeping me trapped here, at least for the time being.

I have mused wistfully over places like Idaho, Montana.....even though they kept reelecting Daschle for years, I've heard that South Dakota is actually a great place.  On another recent FR thread, several people had spoken of how great Texas is....I don't know "sigh".  I have this naive mental image of The South, where the people are courteous and gracious and sane, and the women don't glare at you or say nasty, militant-feminist things to you if you hold the door open for them at the shopping mall as they do here.  I dream of living in a place where a man can hold a lady's chair for her as she sits down at a restaurant or help her on or off with a heavy coat without people nearby glaring at you in utter astonishment, thinking that there is SUCH a Neanderthal among us....how dare he oppress her so and treat her so badly..... I regret that most of the travelling I've done has been overseas and I don't know my own country nearly as well as I'd like.  I will miss the climate here which, although not to many people's taste (11 months of gray skies and drizzle every year gives us a high suicide rate) is what I'm accustomed to.  The scenery is spectacular.....but the people and the politics and the economics here are just absolutely awful.  "sigh"

sorry to ramble on this way........

 

 

[rlmorel]

Yeah...I live in Massachusetts. Your state is nearly as liberal as mine.

Notice I said "Nearly".

[jec41]

King county must have a population shortage to pass this. Look for a population explosion

[speekinout]

I LOVE this plan. I don't live in Seattle, and our state can solve our homeless problem by just buying them all a bus ticket to Seattle. :-)