Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

It is hardly a secret that homelessness is one of the most pressing issues in the city of Seattle today. If it were a secret however, to keep tourism afloat and the gleaming image of the Emerald City alive, then it would not be well kept. Homelessness in Seattle is not whispered nor is it concealed in the shadows of the high-end condo and apartment buildings that have begun to sprout in neighborhoods like Ballard and Capitol Hill. No, instead homelessness is shouted, it is pressed to your face, and tugs on your jacket sleeve. Not even tourists can escape its presence. Places like the Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square, often the face of our urban core, have become the front lines of the battle between those asking for spare change and those with the change to spare.

Since the 2008 One Night Count, there has been an estimated 2% increase in the number of homeless people on the streets. This number, though seemingly small, is preventable and affects individuals like you and I on a grand scale. It is the absolute duty of non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, and the city government to create housing for those without homes that is affordable and available. Between rising rents and mortgages and a state unemployment rate that has reached 7.1%, the problem will only worsen in our city. We must abandon our stereotypes of those who sleep in doorways to realize that many of them struggled to keep homes that very much resemble our own. No longer should the former factory worker who built our cars sleep under the I-5. No longer should the veterans who sacrificed for our country suffer from bitter Seattle winters. No longer should single mothers have to explain to their children why they must sleep in their car again. Shelters are at capacity, especially when Seattle weather does not spare us from rain, or sleet, or snow. Public government housing wait lists only grow longer while availability shrinks smaller.

I call for stronger efforts on the part of non-profits, businesses, and the city government to create partnerships and initiatives that will help to develop more affordable housing throughout Seattle. Such developments should not be designated to specific neighborhoods only, but must be spread throughout the city in order to ensure that individuals and families from all walks of life interact with one another and share the same opportunities for quality food business, access to public transportation, and proximity to places of employment.

But why? Why should these three sectors come together and work through disputes to create more affordable housing? First, we must state the obvious – because all human beings are worthy and deserving of fundamental rights. Having a roof over your head is simply one of those rights, like water and food. Additionally, such projects are proven to create tens of thousands of jobs in the housing and construction industries. While individuals gain more money through employment and are able to save from affordable rents, their income would go back in the economy through spending on both necessities and luxuries. Existing neighborhoods that host successful developments like the Pantages, Stone Way, and the Village Square apartments have become more vibrant, diverse, healthy, and sustainable.

Above all, increased cooperation between non-profits, businesses, and the city of Seattle would help to prevent thousand of families from becoming homeless through rental assistance. Those who were once homeless would once again live safely and comfortably with dignity. As citizens, we must support housing levies, be open to affordable housing developments in our neighborhoods, and encourage for-profit developers and businesses to become involved in a process that could ultimately have a positive effect on their lives along with the 2% of homeless individuals and families living on the streets today. Homelessness is not a secret in Seattle and should not be treated like one.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Vance