Obama Time
2015-11-05 19:35:28 UTC
Most of the "homeless" are unemployable faggots from Portland,
Chicago, Austin, San Antonio, Miami, New York and Boston.
Seattle and King County are in a state of emergency over
homelessness, declared Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive
Dow Constantine Monday morning.
Members of Seattle City Council, Washington state House Speaker
Frank Chopp and others joined Murray and Constantine at a news
conference to announce the state of emergency and detail parts
of a $5.3-million package aimed at both the current crisis and
prevention of homelessness.
About $900,000 of that will be aimed at adding 100 shelter beds
as quickly as possible, but the plan also includes a mobile
mental health van to be up and running in the next few months,
as well as several other efforts aimed more at the prevention of
homelessness.
Murray said a situation of increased homelessness and deaths of
homeless people while programs to help those individuals have
continued expand is what triggered the state of emergency.
"Despite our generosity, the magnitude of the problem is growing
worse," he said during the news conference. "All of us are
struggling to understand, despite our efforts, why this crisis
continues to grow."
The latest One Night Count found more than 3,770 people sleeping
outside in King County, 2,800 of those within Seattle. Nearly
10,000 people are homeless any given day in the county, a number
that is up roughly 2,000 since 2005, according to Constantine's
proclamation of emergency.
Murray said 45 homeless people had died in Seattle this year.
The city already funds 1,600 shelter beds and has another 100
scheduled to open in Uptown and recently approved three homeless
encampments to that could serve up to 300 people.
As part of the investment, the city will expand its collection
and analysis of data on homelessness to not only better
understand the extent of the problem, but also to measure the
effectiveness of new and existing programs. If something isn't
making a difference, the city won't keep funding it, Murray said.
Murray and Constantine blamed cuts to support at the state and
federal level for putting the burden squarely on local
officials, a burden that even Seattle and King County can't bear
alone, they said.
Constantine also noted growing housing crises, income inequality
and the incarceration of people with mental health issues rather
than treatment as national issues that led to impacts locally.
"We must get this issue back on the national agenda," Murray
said. "The reality is, we are in a moment in our history where
decades of service cuts, growing income inequality, and many
untreated issues of mental health and drug addiction have
finally resulted in a human crisis seldom seen in the history of
our city."
Even at the state level, where funding for mental health
treatment has been increased in recent years, lack of staffing
has led to long waits for prisoners to get beds in state-run
facilities. Just last week, a Cowlitz County judge found the
state Department of Social and Health Services in contempt for
failing to provide timely treatment to a murder suspect who is
incompetent to stand trial.
King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who joined Murray and
Constantine in Monday's announcement, said he expects local
officials to work closely with state lawmakers on on efforts to
prevent homelessness, but also noted the importance of federal
funding.
Murray's declaration of a civil emergency is unusual for an
issue such as homelessness, but not the only instance of such a
move by a city or state government.
Los Angeles, Portland and the state of Hawaii have all made
similar declarations in the last couple months, and Murray isn't
planning to exercise all the powers available, he said.
But he will exercise police powers as necessary to get homeless
children and their families off the streets, he said. That could
mean disregarding existing ordinances or processes to get
shelter space open more quickly.
Baily Gatzert Elementary school principal Greg Imel said his
school of 350 students counted 71 homeless students among them
last year.
Murray noted that the $5.3 million is a one-time expenditure,
funded from the sale of excess city property, and the city and
county would need state and federal funding to continue making
progress.
He added that he plans to argue for Federal Emergency Management
Agency funding in the short-term.
McDermott, who only learned of plans for the declaration Friday,
said the action was necessary and he hoped state and federal
officials would get behind the efforts.
"We know we have a growing homeless problem," he said after the
news conference. "What does government exist to do but meet the
needs of our citizens?"
Government does not fuck over everyone else to solve a problem
that is self-perpetuating. Faggots choose to be queer.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Murray-declares-civil-
emergency-over-homelessness-6605652.php
Chicago, Austin, San Antonio, Miami, New York and Boston.
Seattle and King County are in a state of emergency over
homelessness, declared Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive
Dow Constantine Monday morning.
Members of Seattle City Council, Washington state House Speaker
Frank Chopp and others joined Murray and Constantine at a news
conference to announce the state of emergency and detail parts
of a $5.3-million package aimed at both the current crisis and
prevention of homelessness.
About $900,000 of that will be aimed at adding 100 shelter beds
as quickly as possible, but the plan also includes a mobile
mental health van to be up and running in the next few months,
as well as several other efforts aimed more at the prevention of
homelessness.
Murray said a situation of increased homelessness and deaths of
homeless people while programs to help those individuals have
continued expand is what triggered the state of emergency.
"Despite our generosity, the magnitude of the problem is growing
worse," he said during the news conference. "All of us are
struggling to understand, despite our efforts, why this crisis
continues to grow."
The latest One Night Count found more than 3,770 people sleeping
outside in King County, 2,800 of those within Seattle. Nearly
10,000 people are homeless any given day in the county, a number
that is up roughly 2,000 since 2005, according to Constantine's
proclamation of emergency.
Murray said 45 homeless people had died in Seattle this year.
The city already funds 1,600 shelter beds and has another 100
scheduled to open in Uptown and recently approved three homeless
encampments to that could serve up to 300 people.
As part of the investment, the city will expand its collection
and analysis of data on homelessness to not only better
understand the extent of the problem, but also to measure the
effectiveness of new and existing programs. If something isn't
making a difference, the city won't keep funding it, Murray said.
Murray and Constantine blamed cuts to support at the state and
federal level for putting the burden squarely on local
officials, a burden that even Seattle and King County can't bear
alone, they said.
Constantine also noted growing housing crises, income inequality
and the incarceration of people with mental health issues rather
than treatment as national issues that led to impacts locally.
"We must get this issue back on the national agenda," Murray
said. "The reality is, we are in a moment in our history where
decades of service cuts, growing income inequality, and many
untreated issues of mental health and drug addiction have
finally resulted in a human crisis seldom seen in the history of
our city."
Even at the state level, where funding for mental health
treatment has been increased in recent years, lack of staffing
has led to long waits for prisoners to get beds in state-run
facilities. Just last week, a Cowlitz County judge found the
state Department of Social and Health Services in contempt for
failing to provide timely treatment to a murder suspect who is
incompetent to stand trial.
King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who joined Murray and
Constantine in Monday's announcement, said he expects local
officials to work closely with state lawmakers on on efforts to
prevent homelessness, but also noted the importance of federal
funding.
Murray's declaration of a civil emergency is unusual for an
issue such as homelessness, but not the only instance of such a
move by a city or state government.
Los Angeles, Portland and the state of Hawaii have all made
similar declarations in the last couple months, and Murray isn't
planning to exercise all the powers available, he said.
But he will exercise police powers as necessary to get homeless
children and their families off the streets, he said. That could
mean disregarding existing ordinances or processes to get
shelter space open more quickly.
Baily Gatzert Elementary school principal Greg Imel said his
school of 350 students counted 71 homeless students among them
last year.
Murray noted that the $5.3 million is a one-time expenditure,
funded from the sale of excess city property, and the city and
county would need state and federal funding to continue making
progress.
He added that he plans to argue for Federal Emergency Management
Agency funding in the short-term.
McDermott, who only learned of plans for the declaration Friday,
said the action was necessary and he hoped state and federal
officials would get behind the efforts.
"We know we have a growing homeless problem," he said after the
news conference. "What does government exist to do but meet the
needs of our citizens?"
Government does not fuck over everyone else to solve a problem
that is self-perpetuating. Faggots choose to be queer.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Murray-declares-civil-
emergency-over-homelessness-6605652.php