From the Jan 13 – Jan 19, 2000 issue

News

Shame on SHA

Activists Press Seattle Housing Authority

by Trisha Ready

RATHER THAN RAISING housing activists' hopes, recent changes at the city-owned Morrison Hotel are simply raising new questions. Namely, is Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) concerned about making its infamous emergency housing option a safe place to stay, or is the agency just interested in saving face under the glare of public scrutiny? The Morrison is an SHA-owned, 205-unit apartment building on Third Avenue, near Yesler. Critics allege that SHA has long neglected the Morrison, which caters to a high-needs population. Many of the residents have substance-abuse issues, mental health problems, disabilities, and felony records. Some are elderly or fragile.

The last time The Stranger checked in on the Morrison ("Morrison Helltel," August 12, 1999), residents complained of harassment, drug trafficking, and chaos. No social services had been available for 18 months.

SHA didn't seem too concerned until activists started raising hell in October.

In a November 18 letter, the group demanded that SHA immediately address the safety crisis, and then implement long-term changes. As evidence of the trouble, housing advocate John Fox presented SHA with a police-generated report showing 362 police calls and 129 fire calls to the Morrison over a one-year period.

Fox and the activists also had a list of specific remedies: Hire five or six case managers, a 24-hour off-duty police officer, and two 24-hour front-entrance monitors trained to work with high-needs populations. These officers would replace the current part-time private security guards provided by Burns International Security, whom the residents accused of harassing and sexually assaulting them. The activists also demanded that SHA investigate those complaints.

SHA's response has been off the point. They countered Fox's police statistics by focusing on written police reports taken inside the Morrison, which show a gradual decline. This misses Fox's criticism -- -namely, that emergency vehicles are frequently called to the Morrison.

Meanwhile, SHA refused to investigate charges against Burns guards. However, SHA spokeswoman Virginia Felton says her agency plans to terminate Burns' contract at the end of January.

Meanwhile, by hiring an off-duty cop for 18-20 hours per day, an assistant community manager, and a resident manager, SHA has only partially addressed demands. More importantly, they have not provided details of their front-desk staffing plan.

SHA has, however, secured a $100,000 grant to hire two of the requested five case managers. But ultimately, the money and the recent tweaks raise troubling questions: Why hasn't SHA acted faster? Why has SHA waited until now to secure funds for needed services? The Morrison has been operating in the black this past year, so why weren't resident services a priority?