There is no way this number reflects reality.
I work in a public building that is open during the day and becomes the daytime "residence" of many of Seattle's homeless. And, there is no doubt, the number has increased in the last year. There are close to double the amount of people.
Of course, the millions and millions that we have poured into low-income housing just couldn't have had any impact at all. Really, it's getting worse. Really! It always does! Who are you going to believe, statistics?
I don't know if this information is suppose to make me feel happy, or glad, that less homeless people are being counted, one night out of 365 nights in a year. As number 3 stated, what about the jungle? As people are being harassed more and more simply for being homeless in this city, because they are reminder that maybe we are not be able to end homelessnes, wouldn't it make sense that they are going to areas outside the city? We wanna pretend that we are somehow making progress toward what I feel is an unrealistic goal. The ten year plan to end homelessness, now more than half way through, is really the ten year plan to end all evidence of homelessness in the city limits. Sorry for the negativity, but I feel that this is not a meaningful or statistically significant indication of our unrealistic goal to end homelessness.
The number of housing units have not kept pace with what's needed. What has definitely happened is that the City of Seattle has placed no parking 3-5 am signs on streets where people living in cars parked, cars have been impounded, fences have gone up on vacant lots where people slept, newly-homeless families are couch-surfing (the count of homeless schoolchildren is up statewide), counters can't safely penetrate into all greenbelts, and gentrification (in Ballard and Beacon Hill) have pushed out homeless people. They haven't all died (although a distressing number do), they haven't all disappeared; they've gone deeper into areas where we can't count them, or into shelters. Wait for the count of sheltered homeless before you gloat.
They keep counting the same areas each year. As Cop's continue to harass the homeless, which they did just recently, it screws up the count. These person campaigns by the cop's just push the homeless deeper into the green belt. Alison needs to count correctly. It's sad that we cannot come up with a much more accurate count. Perhaps the Office Monkey's (Poppe) in D.C. can shed some light as to what is being planned for the homeless here.
I currently operate in and out of the Jungle alone and I am female and 40. I cannot understand folks that want to help the homeless but count only what they want to count. That is bullshit!
Not one count-not one is ever accurate! I am outraged that the city (cowards that they are) would except figures like these and claim they are trying to solve homelessness. As far as I am concerned the "office monkey's" need to stay in the office.
Please wait...
and remember to be decent to everyone all of the time.
I work in a public building that is open during the day and becomes the daytime "residence" of many of Seattle's homeless. And, there is no doubt, the number has increased in the last year. There are close to double the amount of people.
They all moved from Belltown to Fremont and Ballard. Which you'd know if you ever went outside.
Homeless people are the canary in a coal mine for the sudden, rapid depopulation of Seattle.
Amanda-Activist.
Not one count-not one is ever accurate! I am outraged that the city (cowards that they are) would except figures like these and claim they are trying to solve homelessness. As far as I am concerned the "office monkey's" need to stay in the office.