Open the Seattle Times today and you'll see a column from our newest research director, Director of Public Safety Solutions Policy, Eric Zimmerman. For anyone concerned about homelessness in Washington -- whether its because you have a family member in the clutches of addiction or you're concerned about the takeover of public spaces by encampments, whatever the primary motivation , Eric's column, "WA is in the running for worst-performing homelessness response" is a must-read.
Eric's column should serve as an earthquake to the stance of Washington state in our lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over the federal government's recent rules change that will significantly reduce funds for Housing First approaches to homelessness programs. While our state Attorney General has launched a lawsuit against the federal government over this change, Zimmerman has taken a look at the data for Washington - and it's frighteningly bad.
In the piece, Eric points out that over the decade between 2014 and 2024, Washington's chronic homelessness grew 418% - the second highest national total. Eric also reveals the extent to which homelessness growth across the country has been skewed by growth here and in California. The numbers are astonishing.
If you removed Washington and California from the mix, how much would the nation's homeless population have grown? How much did Washington's overdoes rate grow between 2014 and 2024? Think increased rent is a major driver in Washington homelessness?
Zimmerman provides these answers and more.
Of course, the point here isn't to take the side of the federal government or embarrass public officials here in Washington. The point is that the data shows WA's approach is NOT working. If we truly care about the tens of thousands of people who have died on our streets and the families that they left behind, we need to change what we are doing. Lives literally depend on it.
Read Eric's Seattle Times op-ed here.
