Initiative seeks to force Seattle to fund homeless housing and then clear camps
April 1, 2021 at 11:13 am
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GeekWire’s civic coverage examines tech policy, urban development, transportation, housing, the environment, regulation, and other issues impacting the innovation economy.
Tents line a downtown Seattle street. (GeekWire Photo / John Cook)
In an effort to overhaul Seattle’s approach to its homeless crisis, a coalition of downtown business leaders and non-profit representatives on Thursday introduced a citywide ballot measure to force the city to fund a battery of services and shelters for thousands of the town’s unsheltered residents.
Called the “Compassion Seattle” charter amendment, the initiative also would require the city to keep “parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces and sidewalks and streets clear of encampments” once the mandated housing, drug, and mental health services are in place.
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March 11, 2021 at 3:45 pm
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GeekWire’s civic coverage examines tech policy, urban development, transportation, housing, the environment, regulation, and other issues impacting the innovation economy.
It has been one year since Washington state locked down with the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. And now here we are 12 months later with businesses shuttered, schools closed and everyday societal norms disrupted.
From housing to education to rebooting the economy to social justice, we face a daunting number of public policy challenges.
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