Tag: Human Services and Health

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DESC’s West Wing Shelter

For much of my Council tenure I’ve worked with housing providers, funders, case managers, police, judges, city attorneys, business and labor leaders, our King County Prosecuting Attorney, Nav Team members, LEAD leaders and many more to pull the system together.  FINALLY we are coming to consensus, we know what works and these strategies are being […]

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A Response to System Failure

I recently received a report called System Failure from several business organizations that described individuals committing extensive amounts of often problematic activity. The report provided an in-depth look at 100 individuals that have the highest frequency of problematic behavior in Seattle and how the criminal justice system has not remedied any of the issues. I […]

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Prepare to Care: Start the Conversation

November was National Caregiver Month. To celebrate, we hosted an Age Friendly Seattle “Lunch and Learn” on November 28th to build public awareness around the supportive services that are available to all unpaid Primary Caregivers and care receivers regardless of economic need. To promote our Age-Friendly city, we have preparatory tools available to support our […]

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How the Sweetened Beverage Tax Allows Families to Stretch their Food Dollars Further

When I think of the sweetened beverage tax, I picture the face of Nora Jenkins. Jenkins shops at the Columbia City Farmers’ Market every Wednesday and picks up her favorite vegetable – collard greens. She receives SNAP assistance (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), but through a program called Fresh Bucks, she’s able to double the amount […]

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Building Connections and Offering Work 

I have received many emails from friends and neighbors asking “Why don’t we do what Albuquerque and Portland, Maine are doing – HIRE people who are homeless?” Good news, we do. In Albuquerque, New Mexico the city started a program called  “There’s a Better Way” which reaches homeless people and connects them to jobs throughout Albuquerque. […]

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Moving forward with the first Seattle Navigation Center

Last week the Mayor announced that our first  Navigation Center will be housed in the International District in the Pearl Warren Building. I have heard some concerns about location, and I will say that nearly every neighborhood initially has concerns about the location of human service facilities.  That said, we have seen in Seattle over the past […]

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Connecting With the Library’s Daily Readers

The Seattle Public Libraries (SPL) offer a lifeline for people who are experiencing homelessness. Libraries offer community spaces to get warm, rest, access the internet, use the bathroom, and read without being disturbed. SPL has also worked hard to reduce barriers to using the library, like issuing library cards to people without a permanent address […]

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Putting an End to the Death Penalty

In our nation, we have chosen to legally sanction hundreds of peoples’ deaths by shooting, hanging, electrocuting, lethally injecting, or gassing in jail. In the State of Washington, we have a moratorium to execution called by Gov. Inslee three years ago. However, without legislation abolishing the death penalty, those on death row could again face either lethal […]