Seattle and King County face a heroin and opioid addiction crisis. The numbers are staggering–229 individuals died in 2015 from heroin and prescription overdoses in King County alone. Despite the very real need, our region still suffers from a lack of services and treatment beds to address substance abuse. There are only sixteen detoxification beds […]
Tag: Human Services and Health
Finally — Affordable Lockers Now on Site at Roy Street Shelter!
January 4, 2017 Waking up and still having our shoes within reach is something many of us take for granted. But for those who are homeless it is not so simple. Many people experiencing homelessness have told me that whether they are in shelters or on the streets, they must sleep with one eye open, […]
Transitioning From Tents to Stability: Moving Faster to Get People Inside
Homelessness is the most talked about issue in town right now. At dinner parties, community meetings and even at a friend’s wedding Saturday night, people want to talk about how to shift from tents in their neighborhoods or along their drive home, to building more homes and stable shelters for people experiencing homelessness. Guests peppered […]
The Task Force on Unsanctioned Encampments — 17 Principles
On October 3, 2016, the Task Force on Unsanctioned Encampments issued its report. The sixteen members and leaders offered the following 17 Principles. I am grateful to all who were involved, including co-chairs Sally Clark and David Moseley, and the facilitator Kjris Lund. The names of the sixteen participants are listed below. When it is necessary […]
Sustainable Solutions for Unsheltered Residents
Yesterday in the Human Services and Public Health Committee, Council discussed the “Sustainable Solutions for Unsheltered Residents” ordinance, and I’m writing to give an update on the Council deliberations so far. Many of the comments I’ve been hearing in the last few weeks continue to be reflected in the conversation in Committee. Some of the […]
Office Hours in District 7
Last Wednesday, I hosted District 7 Office Hours in the Belltown Community Center. I was pleased to hear from community members on topics ranging from housing, transit, HALA, recreational marijuana licenses and homelessness. Each person brought a unique perspective, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to speak informally and in depth about their issues. Specifically, […]
The If Project
Eight years ago Seattle Police Detective Kim Bogucki received a stack of essays from Renata, an inmate at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW at Purdy). With these essays as a foundation, Kim and Renata created the If Project, a program with a mission of preventing future crime, supporting former inmates in re-entry, and […]
My Day Walking in the (Muddy) Shoes of One Young Woman
My day started early Saturday morning; the first meeting was 6:00 a.m. in Uptown with a group called Heroes for the Homeless. Thirty of us re-packed donated oranges, sandwiches, cheese sticks and Fran’s chocolates into zip lock bags; we separated dry socks, clothes and hygiene items into other bags, and prepared gallons of hot chocolate […]
Council Approves 2016 City Budget
On the Monday the Council approved the 2016 City of Seattle budget. As Chair of the Council’s Budget Committee, I was responsible for assembling a balancing package for consideration by the City Council. The budget passed by the Council focuses on urgent, immediate needs. I believe that when more people have a chance to reach […]
Opiate Addictions: They’re Increasing and We Need to Get Ahead of It
By Laura Robinson, Intern to Sally Bagshaw* Heroin-induced overdose deaths have risen steeply in King County and the United States in recent years. In the King County Board of Health report delivered in March 2015, heroin involved deaths jumped from 21 in the first half of 2010 to 69 in the first half of 2014. […]