City Councilmembers and Seattle’s mayor agree that the Nickelsville homeless encampment is not sustainable and poses legal risks to the city – but they don’t agree on how to solve the problem.
In a letter to councilmembers earlier this month, Mayor Mike McGinn offered two options: approving legislation that would permit longer-term transitional encampments on other public or private property, or taking steps to maintain and grow Nickelsville at its current West Marginal Way Southwest location.
“We can and must do better for people living at the West Marginal Way SW encampment and in other encampments in Seattle,” councilmembers wrote in a Monday letter. “We can and should act to meet both the immediate and long-term needs of the individuals at Nickelsville.”
Councilmembers said leaders are working with neighboring communities to meet goals of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, which was introduced in March 2005.
“The City invests more than $30 million each year in programs and services to assist homeless individuals and families,” councilmembers wrote to McGinn. “In the past two years, the Council has provided an additional $1 million in funding for the shelter, rapid rehousing, and other services to help move homeless individuals and families off the streets and into shelter and housing.”
However, despite those millions invested, statistics show homelessness in King County has increased.
Each January, hundreds of volunteers do the annual One Night Count, which tracks the number of homeless individuals.
In 2012, volunteers counted 2,594 people. That number increased in this year's count to 2,736.
KIRO
