Speak Up! – Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Blog

Join us in calling on the Seattle City Council and Mayor Murray to make a $10 million emergency investment in shelter & homeless services

October 28, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness is calling on the Seattle City Council to respond to the urgent unmet needs of homeless people with a new emergency investment of $10 million in shelter and services in the 2016 budget. This figure represents a realistic assessment of how our city can significantly reduce how many people are homeless outside in our city, starting this winter. These are not intended to be comprehensive recommendations – they are serious proposals that will help more people get their fundamental needs met through a strengthened and expanded network of emergency survival services. More information about how we recommend $10 million be used most effectively is below. YOUR voice is crucial: if you live, work, or spend time in Seattle, Mayor Murray and City Council Members need to hear from you today. Simple instructions for how to Take Action are at the bottom of this post! We recommend that Council use the current budget process to allocate new resources to: Bring 750-1000 people indoors beginning this winter: Increase overnight shelter capacity and expand daytime services that meet people’s needs Keep homeless people safer and healthier while they are outside: Take a public health/harm reduction approach to assisting people outside Build on and reinforce our existing network of shelters and survival services: Extend hours and enhance staffing and programming where possible; find and fill in gaps between what people need and what is available Estimated costs and specific opportunities: I. Open additional overnight shelter for 1000 people: $6.5 million* This conservative cost estimate presumes that Seattle will work to maximize capacity at existing programs (offer longer service hours or enhanced services or increased staffing support) and open additional shelters by working with local non-profit organizations, leveraging publicly-held properties, and calling on the private sector to join faith communities …

King County Residents: Speak up to ensure equity in housing in your communities!

August 18, 2014 by Alison Eisinger

Many municipalities are in the process of determining their guidelines and allocations for growth over the next 5, 10, or 20 years. You have likely heard and seen notices about Comprehensive and Consolidate Plans. You may be asking, “What’s the difference?” Here it is: Local Comprehensive Plans are written and updated by city staff and elected officials. They map out each city’s vision for the next 20 years and include guidelines for housing development, job growth, transportation improvements, and environmental stewardship. The King County Consolidated Plan is prepared by a consortium of nearly all the suburban cities and unincorporated areas of the county. It guides the allocation of federal, state, and local funds to address housing, homelessness, and community development needs over the next five years. The policies written into these plans will guide where houses will be built, what type of housing will be encouraged, and the affordability of that housing. Make sure that people who are homeless and low income are included as the King County Consortium plans for the future! Continue reading to learn about three upcoming opportunities to speak up. The content of this post was created by the Committee to End Homelessness (CEH) – King County. You are invited to drop in at a public forum to discuss and comment on the King County Consortium’s Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan for the period of 2015 through 2019. Three meetings will be held in early September to provide information and receive input from stakeholders and interested citizens on the Consolidated Plan. Pabla Punjabi Palace September 4 at 4:00 to 7:00pm 15245 International Blvd, Suite 250, Tukwila Bellevue Library September 9 at 4:00 to 7:00pm 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue Third Place Commons September 10 at 4:00 to 7:00pm 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park The Consolidated Plan is …