Homelessness

90 Stories

Program pledging to get every unsheltered person off downtown Seattle’s streets comes to an end

In February of 2022, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority announced an ambitious program promising to reduce unsheltered homelessness in downtown Seattle to zero — potentially within a year. But 19 months later, the organization announced the end of Partnership for Zero, after only meeting a fraction of its goal.
- Mike Davis
The toll of a homelessness 'experiment'

In the last year or soa program from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority moved hundreds of people from the streets into housing. This week, the authority said it’s ending that effort. In a minute, Seattle Times reporter Anna Patrick will lay out what happened and detail the broken trust left behind.
- Patricia Murphy
King County's hotel shelters help address one crisis while potentially hiding another

Seattle and King County have been experimenting with using hotel rooms to house people rather than directing them to crowded homeless shelters. But some service providers fear the hotel rooms could be hiding another crisis: drug overdoses.
- Kevin Kniestedt
Burien considers camping ban and first homeless shelter

This month the Burien City Council is set to vote on an ordinance that would make sleeping on public property a misdemeanor. If passed, the law would make life even more difficult for homeless people in a city that doesn't offer any shelters.
- Casey Martin
A failed hotel shelter program left nearly 300 people scrambling for housing. Who’s to blame?

The Lived Experience Coalition rolled out a program last winter that worked directly with unhoused people, moving them into four hotel shelters across King County and Tacoma. But shortly after its launch, the program collapsed. Seattle Times Project Homeless reporter Anna Patrick joined Soundside to unpack the breakdown leading to the program's demise.
- Hans Anderson
Tiny house villagers get internet in Seattle

People living in tiny house villages in King County are getting an upgrade this summer: fast, reliable internet service. The Seattle Public Library and county are donating Wi-Fi hotspots to help villagers get online without having to leave their tiny houses.
- Casey Martin
'Challenge and opportunity,' Washington officials get first-hand view of youth homelessness

Washington Senator Patty Murray says she’ll introduce a bill this fall to create new grant programs for homeless shelters that serve teens and young adults. Housing advocates in Seattle say the money is needed to prevent service cuts.
- Casey Martin
The pandemic transformed Seattle's homeless shelters for the better, advocates say. But challenges remain

The pandemic spurred radical changes to Seattle's homeless shelter system, leading to more space, more privacy, and more autonomy for people. But this shift also came with challenges, and advocates say many legacy issues remain.
- Kate Walters
Constantly on the move in SoDo, trying not to get swept

People living in tents and vehicles in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood were shuffled around during major league baseball's All Star week earlier this month. Some say it isn’t just big sporting events that force them to keep moving.
- Casey Martin
We can all learn from Burien's homelessness debate

Dozens of homeless residents in Burien are still living outside, months after the city started debating how to help them. A million dollar deal fell through. An entire city board resigned. And council meetings are getting heated, to say the least. There's something for every community in the region to learn about Burien's homelessness crisis. Publicola editor and publisher Erica C. Barnett explains.
- Patricia Murphy

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