Seattle – Mayor Katie B. Wilson released the following statement:
“This morning, I visited the site of an encampment in Ballard that was scheduled to be removed because I wanted to understand in detail for myself what’s working and not working in our current approach. I decided to extend the deadline for this site to allow more time to assess whether we can improve outcomes for the people living there, for their neighbors, and for local businesses.
Meaningful progress on homelessness means finding solutions that bring more people inside, instead of moving them from place to place. That’s why my administration will soon be announcing concrete steps to expedite the expansion of emergency shelter and will move quickly to open new shelter space.
We also need to provide clean and accessible sidewalks, parks, trails, and other public spaces for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes that will require clearing encampments, and the City will pursue that course when it’s the best option.
For too long, we have spent too much time and too many resources on approaches that have not been successful at addressing our homelessness crisis. It’s time for that to change.”