1 00:00:10,710 --> 00:00:13,679 -Well, I'm very excited to be here tonight. 2 00:00:13,813 --> 00:00:16,449 It is so good to see so many people here 3 00:00:16,449 --> 00:00:19,986 who understand that we all have a stake in this effort 4 00:00:20,253 --> 00:00:23,323 to finally start making real, tangible progress 5 00:00:23,323 --> 00:00:27,092 on bringing people inside of homelessness. 6 00:00:28,361 --> 00:00:28,762 Good. 7 00:00:28,762 --> 00:00:31,364 Yep. (laughter) 8 00:00:31,364 --> 00:00:34,200 Homelessness is the single issue 9 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,570 that I hear about most often from almost everybody. 10 00:00:38,537 --> 00:00:41,073 Community members ask me what we're going to do 11 00:00:41,073 --> 00:00:43,143 to rejuvenate their neighborhoods. 12 00:00:43,143 --> 00:00:44,243 Business owners 13 00:00:44,243 --> 00:00:45,978 ask about how we're going to make the city 14 00:00:45,978 --> 00:00:48,180 more lively and welcoming, 15 00:00:48,180 --> 00:00:50,049 and so many caring people ask 16 00:00:50,049 --> 00:00:51,451 about how we're going to make sure 17 00:00:51,451 --> 00:00:54,454 that more people have a safe place to sleep at night. 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,158 And anyone walking around our city is left to wonder, 19 00:00:58,158 --> 00:00:59,792 is this the best we can do? 20 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,328 And honestly, for a long time, 21 00:01:02,328 --> 00:01:04,763 it hasn't felt like we're doing our best. 22 00:01:04,763 --> 00:01:07,200 A lot of city staff and service providers 23 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:07,867 and community 24 00:01:07,867 --> 00:01:11,438 members are doing incredible, valuable work every day. 25 00:01:11,971 --> 00:01:14,974 But progress has been hard to see. 26 00:01:15,375 --> 00:01:18,111 While we've been locked for so long in the same debates, 27 00:01:18,111 --> 00:01:19,578 the fentanyl crisis 28 00:01:19,578 --> 00:01:20,914 and a lack of behavioral health 29 00:01:20,914 --> 00:01:23,715 supports have made things worse. 30 00:01:23,715 --> 00:01:26,953 And I think a lot of people who care deeply about our city 31 00:01:26,953 --> 00:01:28,021 and their neighbors 32 00:01:28,021 --> 00:01:28,987 have started to wonder 33 00:01:28,987 --> 00:01:31,990 whether things could ever actually change at scale. 34 00:01:32,891 --> 00:01:35,962 And I understand that feeling, but I think it's mistaken. 35 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:39,399 I made my career as a community organizer 36 00:01:39,399 --> 00:01:40,900 and a coalition builder. 37 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:42,067 I know the power 38 00:01:42,067 --> 00:01:44,403 of working with people from different backgrounds 39 00:01:44,403 --> 00:01:47,272 and different interests and bringing them together 40 00:01:47,272 --> 00:01:48,974 around a shared vision for change. 41 00:01:50,043 --> 00:01:50,510 And there are 42 00:01:50,510 --> 00:01:53,513 so many places where I think we all agree. 43 00:01:54,346 --> 00:01:57,549 In addition to frustration, what I repeatedly hear 44 00:01:57,549 --> 00:01:59,218 from business leaders, service 45 00:01:59,218 --> 00:02:02,822 providers, community activists and people living outside 46 00:02:03,355 --> 00:02:04,623 is that we can't just keep 47 00:02:04,623 --> 00:02:06,391 moving people from place to place 48 00:02:06,391 --> 00:02:09,395 and calling that progress. 49 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:15,701 We have to aspire to something higher than just 50 00:02:15,701 --> 00:02:17,604 pushing an encampment around the corner 51 00:02:17,604 --> 00:02:19,639 so it's a problem for a different block. 52 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:20,539 That does not help 53 00:02:20,539 --> 00:02:22,942 to stabilize anyone's lives, and it doesn't work 54 00:02:22,942 --> 00:02:25,010 for the rest of the city either. 55 00:02:25,010 --> 00:02:27,514 And we need to make sure that our parks are trails, 56 00:02:27,514 --> 00:02:29,282 are public spaces that are safe, 57 00:02:29,282 --> 00:02:32,252 welcoming and accessible to everyone. 58 00:02:35,587 --> 00:02:38,557 And the way that we can make both of those things happen 59 00:02:38,557 --> 00:02:42,094 is to actually welcome people inside and provide them with 60 00:02:42,094 --> 00:02:43,329 the services that they need. 61 00:02:44,330 --> 00:02:47,133 And that is a plan that can bring people together 62 00:02:47,133 --> 00:02:48,268 from different neighborhoods 63 00:02:48,268 --> 00:02:51,270 and different perspectives to finally make real progress. 64 00:02:51,871 --> 00:02:53,705 And that's what we're here to do. 65 00:02:53,705 --> 00:02:56,742 I'm committed to opening 1000 new units of shelter 66 00:02:56,742 --> 00:03:00,612 and emergency housing this year when. Yes. 67 00:03:04,584 --> 00:03:07,687 And when we show that this works, that shelters are open, 68 00:03:07,986 --> 00:03:10,223 that people are getting the support that they need 69 00:03:10,223 --> 00:03:12,859 and that neighborhoods are the better for it. 70 00:03:12,859 --> 00:03:14,259 We build the public will. 71 00:03:14,259 --> 00:03:17,497 We need to reach 4000 units over four years? 72 00:03:18,198 --> 00:03:21,200 Or what's more important to dramatically reduce 73 00:03:21,533 --> 00:03:23,902 the rates of unsheltered homelessness in our city? 74 00:03:23,902 --> 00:03:24,871 The number of people 75 00:03:24,871 --> 00:03:27,840 who are sleeping outside every single night. 76 00:03:28,373 --> 00:03:30,776 And I know that these are big numbers, right? 77 00:03:30,776 --> 00:03:32,778 Especially when the Seattle Times reports 78 00:03:32,778 --> 00:03:35,848 that the city added just 13 units of shelter over 79 00:03:35,848 --> 00:03:36,983 the previous four years. 80 00:03:37,950 --> 00:03:41,153 So meeting this goal, I know is going to take incredible 81 00:03:41,153 --> 00:03:44,556 focus from my office, from the whole city government 82 00:03:45,157 --> 00:03:48,161 and from service providers and from all of us. 83 00:03:48,493 --> 00:03:51,531 It will take new resources in a time of tight budgets 84 00:03:51,764 --> 00:03:52,931 and we'll take the whole city 85 00:03:52,931 --> 00:03:55,801 pitching in to make it happen. 86 00:03:55,801 --> 00:03:58,137 When I first started talking about these numbers, 87 00:03:58,137 --> 00:04:01,139 I heard a lot of skepticism from a lot of places. 88 00:04:01,507 --> 00:04:04,009 Yes, there were certainly questions about the logistics 89 00:04:04,009 --> 00:04:06,044 and the funding and how different departments 90 00:04:06,044 --> 00:04:06,913 were going to carry out 91 00:04:06,913 --> 00:04:09,915 my executive order that set the stage for this work. 92 00:04:10,116 --> 00:04:11,850 But the most skepticism and was about 93 00:04:11,850 --> 00:04:13,586 whether it was actually possible 94 00:04:13,586 --> 00:04:17,089 to build community support for a new shelter citywide, 95 00:04:17,857 --> 00:04:19,658 because the conventional political wisdom 96 00:04:19,658 --> 00:04:22,228 is that neighborhoods will always say no, 97 00:04:22,228 --> 00:04:24,730 that everyone wants shelter to be tucked out of sight 98 00:04:24,730 --> 00:04:26,899 in someone else's neighborhood. 99 00:04:26,899 --> 00:04:29,401 That is better to just work quietly and follow the path 100 00:04:29,401 --> 00:04:30,336 of least resistance. 101 00:04:30,336 --> 00:04:32,338 Because the politics are just too hard. 102 00:04:33,305 --> 00:04:34,240 I don't buy that. 103 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,742 And that's not the kind of mayor that I want to be. 104 00:04:36,742 --> 00:04:39,745 And that's why we're here today, 105 00:04:42,180 --> 00:04:44,483 because I have also heard over and over again 106 00:04:44,483 --> 00:04:45,418 from people 107 00:04:45,418 --> 00:04:47,185 and from business leaders who actually want 108 00:04:47,185 --> 00:04:48,754 to be part of the solution. 109 00:04:48,754 --> 00:04:50,523 They just need to believe that 110 00:04:50,523 --> 00:04:53,526 we're actually making progress and that they're part of it. 111 00:04:53,826 --> 00:04:57,230 And I believe that all of you are willing to welcome 112 00:04:57,230 --> 00:04:59,766 well-run shelters with wraparound services 113 00:04:59,766 --> 00:05:01,300 in your own neighborhoods 114 00:05:01,300 --> 00:05:04,303 and the places that you live, work and spend time. 115 00:05:05,137 --> 00:05:07,406 So instead of letting people battle over 116 00:05:07,406 --> 00:05:08,608 individual projects 117 00:05:08,608 --> 00:05:11,610 without any overall vision, we are looking citywide. 118 00:05:11,810 --> 00:05:13,646 This is a citywide problem, 119 00:05:13,646 --> 00:05:16,649 and it's going to take a citywide effort to solve it. 120 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:19,718 So my team will be providing a more detailed briefing 121 00:05:19,718 --> 00:05:22,487 of our approach to siting, operating and funding new 122 00:05:22,487 --> 00:05:25,725 shelter, showing our work since I've taken office. 123 00:05:26,259 --> 00:05:28,961 But before that, I'm happy to make a couple 124 00:05:28,961 --> 00:05:31,197 of first announcements about where we'll be moving 125 00:05:31,197 --> 00:05:33,565 quickly to open new shelter in the months ahead. 126 00:05:34,567 --> 00:05:35,300 So after careful 127 00:05:35,300 --> 00:05:37,470 review, we're ready to announce the first site 128 00:05:37,470 --> 00:05:39,137 of many to come. 129 00:05:39,137 --> 00:05:42,141 We have signed a lease on a property on Armory. 130 00:05:42,141 --> 00:05:44,509 Armory way in Winter Bay 131 00:05:44,509 --> 00:05:46,245 Pallet Shelter has been selected 132 00:05:46,245 --> 00:05:48,081 to build a micro modular shelter 133 00:05:48,081 --> 00:05:50,115 where wraparound services will be provided 134 00:05:50,115 --> 00:05:53,119 for more than 75 unsheltered people with behavioral health 135 00:05:53,119 --> 00:05:56,122 needs. 136 00:05:59,524 --> 00:06:02,694 And I also want to thank Amy King, CEO of Pallet Shelter, 137 00:06:02,694 --> 00:06:05,697 for moving quickly to help stand up this new site. 138 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:09,668 We are also expediting several shelter programs 139 00:06:09,668 --> 00:06:12,137 which were already in the development process, 140 00:06:12,137 --> 00:06:13,372 including the glass Yard 141 00:06:13,372 --> 00:06:14,906 common site, which will serve about 142 00:06:14,906 --> 00:06:17,410 90 people in southwest Seattle, 143 00:06:17,410 --> 00:06:19,711 Nichols Villas Brighton Village, which will serve 144 00:06:19,711 --> 00:06:22,682 about 15 people in southeast Seattle. 145 00:06:24,817 --> 00:06:27,954 And thanks to my team's work, these sites could open 146 00:06:27,954 --> 00:06:30,555 months sooner than would otherwise have been possible. 147 00:06:31,624 --> 00:06:33,625 We are also in active discussions 148 00:06:33,625 --> 00:06:35,762 with several property owners for buildings 149 00:06:35,762 --> 00:06:38,630 that we can master, lease and use as emergency housing, 150 00:06:38,630 --> 00:06:40,665 as well as other micro modular sites 151 00:06:40,665 --> 00:06:43,468 that we will be announcing very soon. 152 00:06:43,468 --> 00:06:44,870 So these are just the first sites 153 00:06:44,870 --> 00:06:47,874 in what will be an ongoing citywide effort. 154 00:06:48,408 --> 00:06:51,744 I also want to take a moment to thank Governor Gregoire 155 00:06:51,810 --> 00:06:54,247 and challenged Seattle and four of their members, 156 00:06:54,247 --> 00:06:58,250 specifically Microsoft, John Stanton and Terry Gillespie, 157 00:06:58,651 --> 00:07:01,920 T-Mobile and Starbucks for partnering with us, 158 00:07:02,221 --> 00:07:03,956 helping us to move more quickly 159 00:07:03,956 --> 00:07:06,625 and scale up this effort to bring more people inside. 160 00:07:06,625 --> 00:07:09,629 And we will share more on that partnership soon. 161 00:07:09,961 --> 00:07:11,730 Thank you also to Councilmember 162 00:07:11,730 --> 00:07:13,199 Strauss and Foster, 163 00:07:13,199 --> 00:07:15,600 who have been incredible partners in this effort. 164 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,470 And I don't want to leave out the other council members. 165 00:07:17,470 --> 00:07:19,572 All the council members are working with us 166 00:07:19,572 --> 00:07:22,141 and we're really grateful for their partnership. 167 00:07:22,141 --> 00:07:23,942 Thank you also to the incredible 168 00:07:23,942 --> 00:07:24,776 service providers 169 00:07:24,776 --> 00:07:26,379 we've been working in partnership with, 170 00:07:26,379 --> 00:07:29,882 including including the Low Income Housing Institute, 171 00:07:30,115 --> 00:07:33,119 Catholic Community Services Chief, Seattle Club, 172 00:07:33,151 --> 00:07:34,052 Evergreen Treatment 173 00:07:34,052 --> 00:07:37,023 Services, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, 174 00:07:37,122 --> 00:07:40,526 Therapeutic Health Services, Purpose, Dignity Action 175 00:07:40,526 --> 00:07:42,360 and Emanuel Community Services. 176 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,463 And a special shout out to Alison Eisinger 177 00:07:44,463 --> 00:07:47,098 and the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness 178 00:07:47,098 --> 00:07:49,035 for supporting advocacy around this work. 179 00:07:54,841 --> 00:07:56,341 And I'll say just one more thing. 180 00:07:56,341 --> 00:07:58,110 The fact that so many of you 181 00:07:58,110 --> 00:08:01,079 are here today really makes a difference. 182 00:08:01,079 --> 00:08:03,216 There's been this assumption for a long time 183 00:08:03,216 --> 00:08:05,384 that it's hard to rally community support 184 00:08:05,384 --> 00:08:07,353 around new shelters and that it's always 185 00:08:07,353 --> 00:08:10,156 going to be a vicious fight where nobody wins. 186 00:08:10,156 --> 00:08:13,158 But you being here begins to tell a different story. 187 00:08:13,291 --> 00:08:15,060 It tells me that Seattle is a place 188 00:08:15,060 --> 00:08:16,428 where we care for each other 189 00:08:16,428 --> 00:08:18,598 and that when we have a vision to do better, 190 00:08:18,598 --> 00:08:20,333 people show up to be part of it. 191 00:08:20,333 --> 00:08:23,336 So thank you all for being here. 192 00:08:25,771 --> 00:08:26,738 -Hello, everyone. 193 00:08:26,738 --> 00:08:29,442 Welcome to our community event. 194 00:08:29,442 --> 00:08:31,711 As Danielle mentioned, I'm Nicole Stafford. 195 00:08:31,711 --> 00:08:34,947 I am working closely with an interdepartmental team 196 00:08:34,947 --> 00:08:37,984 that is really spearheading this shelter accelerator work. 197 00:08:38,283 --> 00:08:41,287 And I want to share in the spirit, as the mayor said, 198 00:08:41,386 --> 00:08:42,721 in the spirit of sharing our work, 199 00:08:42,721 --> 00:08:44,190 we'd like to dive a little bit deeper 200 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:47,058 into some of the activities that have been happening 201 00:08:47,058 --> 00:08:48,427 over the last couple of months 202 00:08:48,427 --> 00:08:51,163 and plans for the next few months ahead. 203 00:08:51,163 --> 00:08:52,230 Let's go to the next slide. 204 00:08:53,432 --> 00:08:54,700 So I want to step back 205 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:56,302 just a little bit and highlight 206 00:08:56,302 --> 00:08:57,135 what the mayor mentioned 207 00:08:57,135 --> 00:08:59,971 about the different program models we're looking at 208 00:08:59,971 --> 00:09:02,707 and the different types of sites that we're looking at. 209 00:09:02,707 --> 00:09:04,143 The first being a micro 210 00:09:04,143 --> 00:09:07,145 micro shelter, otherwise known as tiny house villages. 211 00:09:07,779 --> 00:09:09,881 And we're looking at multiple potential public 212 00:09:09,881 --> 00:09:13,285 and privately owned sites to accelerate these. 213 00:09:13,753 --> 00:09:16,322 We're also looking at master leased apartments 214 00:09:16,322 --> 00:09:19,091 and these are multifamily properties that could be used 215 00:09:19,091 --> 00:09:23,663 to house people in emergency and RV safe parking lots. 216 00:09:24,429 --> 00:09:26,666 And then again, across all of these sites, 217 00:09:26,666 --> 00:09:28,167 we might have different populations 218 00:09:28,167 --> 00:09:29,701 and different needs, but we'll be following 219 00:09:29,701 --> 00:09:30,870 best practices, 220 00:09:30,870 --> 00:09:32,638 and particularly for those populations 221 00:09:32,638 --> 00:09:34,240 with high needs, which will be the sort 222 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,542 of first priority for this first wave. 223 00:09:36,542 --> 00:09:38,711 We'll have wraparound support, behavioral health, 224 00:09:38,711 --> 00:09:39,979 onsite specialists 225 00:09:41,147 --> 00:09:44,015 and substance use disorder treatment. 226 00:09:44,015 --> 00:09:47,019 Thanks, Heidi. 227 00:09:47,687 --> 00:09:49,120 And so I want to give 228 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,057 you also a little bit of a timeline view. 229 00:09:51,057 --> 00:09:53,091 Who doesn't love a timeline view? 230 00:09:53,091 --> 00:09:55,595 And it kicks off with the mayor signing her 231 00:09:55,595 --> 00:09:58,597 executive order on shelter acceleration. 232 00:09:58,597 --> 00:10:00,032 And very quickly, 233 00:10:00,032 --> 00:10:01,433 the same day that that 234 00:10:01,433 --> 00:10:02,268 announcement happened, 235 00:10:02,268 --> 00:10:04,503 we got all of our department leaders together 236 00:10:04,503 --> 00:10:06,238 that have some role to play in 237 00:10:06,238 --> 00:10:08,374 shelter expansion and setting up shelter. 238 00:10:08,374 --> 00:10:12,077 And we immediately started on site vetting and selection. 239 00:10:12,378 --> 00:10:14,647 So that meant reviewing all of the publicly available 240 00:10:14,647 --> 00:10:16,982 land we have at the city's disposal, 241 00:10:16,982 --> 00:10:19,451 county land, land owned by the Washington State 242 00:10:19,451 --> 00:10:21,052 Department of Transportation. 243 00:10:21,052 --> 00:10:23,022 We also did a full effort to, you know, 244 00:10:23,022 --> 00:10:25,291 look at private property that might be available to us. 245 00:10:26,258 --> 00:10:27,360 And we even 246 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:27,994 got some of our 247 00:10:27,994 --> 00:10:30,328 permitting departments and engineers and specialists 248 00:10:30,328 --> 00:10:32,398 together for eight different site visits 249 00:10:32,398 --> 00:10:34,600 so that we could really kick the tires on these sites 250 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,336 to see if we could set them up quickly. 251 00:10:37,336 --> 00:10:39,739 And then in parallel, there was a pretty big budget 252 00:10:39,739 --> 00:10:42,741 and policy development exercise we underwent. 253 00:10:42,875 --> 00:10:44,509 We brought, again, all of our departments 254 00:10:44,509 --> 00:10:46,846 together to lay out an end to end view 255 00:10:46,846 --> 00:10:48,648 of what it takes to stand up shelter 256 00:10:48,648 --> 00:10:49,849 and and really ask 257 00:10:49,849 --> 00:10:51,984 the hard question of what can we do faster? 258 00:10:51,984 --> 00:10:52,951 Where are we 259 00:10:52,951 --> 00:10:55,921 as the city being a bottleneck in this process? 260 00:10:55,988 --> 00:10:56,788 And through that, 261 00:10:56,788 --> 00:10:58,224 we kind of gave recommendations 262 00:10:58,224 --> 00:10:58,624 where we thought 263 00:10:58,624 --> 00:11:01,626 policy could help us unlock some of these processes. 264 00:11:01,927 --> 00:11:05,197 So on April 4th, there was a community event 265 00:11:05,197 --> 00:11:08,234 at Sound Foundation and we transmitted 266 00:11:08,333 --> 00:11:10,035 three pieces of legislation that we think 267 00:11:10,035 --> 00:11:12,303 are going to be critical to helping us move quicker. 268 00:11:13,538 --> 00:11:14,940 And then since then, there 269 00:11:14,940 --> 00:11:17,909 have been many council committee meetings. 270 00:11:18,110 --> 00:11:20,546 And I do want to highlight an opportunity for everyone 271 00:11:20,546 --> 00:11:23,282 that cares about building more shelter in Seattle. 272 00:11:23,282 --> 00:11:24,316 On April 14th, 273 00:11:24,316 --> 00:11:25,051 there'll be a 274 00:11:25,051 --> 00:11:28,153 Finance Committee hearing that you're open to to testify. 275 00:11:29,488 --> 00:11:31,724 And then also in parallel, and that'll be the 276 00:11:31,724 --> 00:11:33,458 theme of my talk is in parallel. 277 00:11:33,458 --> 00:11:34,559 In parallel, 278 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:37,562 we are also going through a service provider matching 279 00:11:38,364 --> 00:11:39,065 exercise. 280 00:11:39,065 --> 00:11:40,832 So as we're finding sites, 281 00:11:40,832 --> 00:11:43,168 we're also thinking about who might be a suitable 282 00:11:43,168 --> 00:11:45,203 developer for the site and operator 283 00:11:45,203 --> 00:11:48,206 for the site and matching with behavioral health services. 284 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,342 We had a if you want to go back. 285 00:11:51,342 --> 00:11:53,379 We also had a roundtable with many 286 00:11:53,379 --> 00:11:56,381 of the service providers that Mayor Wilson 287 00:11:56,448 --> 00:11:59,418 gave a shout out to to help inform our strategy. 288 00:11:59,418 --> 00:12:00,251 We know 289 00:12:00,251 --> 00:12:01,019 there have been shelters 290 00:12:01,019 --> 00:12:02,455 operating in the city for many years 291 00:12:02,455 --> 00:12:04,756 and we can learn from from their experiences. 292 00:12:04,756 --> 00:12:07,659 And then they'll also be a larger sort of provider 293 00:12:07,659 --> 00:12:10,296 summit happening at the end of this month. 294 00:12:10,296 --> 00:12:12,697 And then as soon as providers and sites are selected, 295 00:12:12,697 --> 00:12:15,634 we get to do a robust community engagement process 296 00:12:15,634 --> 00:12:16,969 in partnership with them 297 00:12:16,969 --> 00:12:18,236 to make sure we're bringing along 298 00:12:18,236 --> 00:12:20,472 our neighbors and our key stakeholders. 299 00:12:20,472 --> 00:12:22,041 And then, of course, site development, 300 00:12:22,041 --> 00:12:22,741 which is where a lot 301 00:12:22,741 --> 00:12:24,909 of our permitting department expertise comes in, 302 00:12:24,909 --> 00:12:27,312 that we can provide the sort of wraparound support 303 00:12:27,312 --> 00:12:29,181 that we haven't necessarily had at the city 304 00:12:29,181 --> 00:12:30,115 to help navigate 305 00:12:30,115 --> 00:12:33,119 our often really complex permitting processes. 306 00:12:33,918 --> 00:12:35,254 Next slide. 307 00:12:35,254 --> 00:12:37,690 So I just want to highlight we did the exercise. 308 00:12:37,690 --> 00:12:39,091 What does it take to stand up a shelter? 309 00:12:39,091 --> 00:12:40,125 You'll see there's lots of 310 00:12:40,125 --> 00:12:43,495 small steps that often happen consecutively. 311 00:12:43,928 --> 00:12:47,032 And so our challenge was this might take like 312 00:12:47,298 --> 00:12:49,400 up to a year, How can we do that faster? 313 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,269 We should be able to do this faster. 314 00:12:51,269 --> 00:12:53,672 So if you go to the next slide, that meant 315 00:12:53,672 --> 00:12:55,607 what can we do different about provider selection? 316 00:12:55,607 --> 00:12:56,975 How could the city take a little bit 317 00:12:56,975 --> 00:12:59,711 more ownership in site selection and development? 318 00:12:59,711 --> 00:13:01,614 And if you go to the next slide, 319 00:13:01,614 --> 00:13:04,616 we magically turn it into something running in parallel 320 00:13:04,917 --> 00:13:07,753 and we think we can bring this down to 3 to 5 months. 321 00:13:07,753 --> 00:13:10,755 But it really is an exercise in and trying something new. 322 00:13:11,524 --> 00:13:13,292 And if you click the next slide, 323 00:13:13,292 --> 00:13:15,961 we really need legislation to be able to unlock this 324 00:13:15,961 --> 00:13:17,263 so that the city can take 325 00:13:17,263 --> 00:13:19,197 ownership of site and develop it faster 326 00:13:19,197 --> 00:13:21,267 and then pass it along to an operator 327 00:13:21,267 --> 00:13:24,269 who has the expertise to run the rest of the process. 328 00:13:24,803 --> 00:13:26,437 And then if you go to the next slide, 329 00:13:26,437 --> 00:13:29,073 I want to quickly touch on the legislative package 330 00:13:29,073 --> 00:13:31,777 that's going to help us unlock this new process. 331 00:13:31,777 --> 00:13:35,681 The first one is a signing authority for our finance 332 00:13:35,681 --> 00:13:37,783 and administrative services director. 333 00:13:37,783 --> 00:13:39,985 This is going to allow us to 334 00:13:39,985 --> 00:13:42,988 sign leases on private property to then 335 00:13:43,087 --> 00:13:45,157 work in parallel in finding a provider, 336 00:13:45,157 --> 00:13:47,559 get the site up and ready and pass it off. 337 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,496 And then there's a legislation around funding $4.9 million 338 00:13:51,864 --> 00:13:54,866 to help expand shelter this year. 339 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:57,870 And I want to note that both the signing authority 340 00:13:57,870 --> 00:13:59,238 and the funding are going to be going 341 00:13:59,238 --> 00:14:02,140 through the finance Committee on that April 14th. 342 00:14:02,140 --> 00:14:05,211 And then finally, we have a census limit legislation 343 00:14:05,744 --> 00:14:07,212 that's going to allow us to 344 00:14:08,179 --> 00:14:10,950 expand sites that are already working. 345 00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:12,384 There are a lot of city properties 346 00:14:12,384 --> 00:14:14,586 that might already have a tiny house village on it. 347 00:14:14,586 --> 00:14:17,322 And so in order to make best use of our public assets 348 00:14:17,322 --> 00:14:19,490 and to really stretch our tax dollars even further 349 00:14:19,490 --> 00:14:22,360 and providing the sort of resource 350 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:23,895 we need to be able to to do that. 351 00:14:23,895 --> 00:14:24,562 And that's 352 00:14:24,562 --> 00:14:25,397 not to say 353 00:14:25,397 --> 00:14:26,731 every model needs to be 354 00:14:26,731 --> 00:14:29,100 a large model or have a certain number of sites. 355 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:29,768 It just gives us 356 00:14:29,768 --> 00:14:32,837 the flexibility to use our dollars the wisest. 357 00:14:33,972 --> 00:14:35,506 So if you go to the next slide, 358 00:14:35,506 --> 00:14:38,576 as Mayor Wilson mentioned, we did just recently sign 359 00:14:38,878 --> 00:14:43,514 leases on our 1551 West Armory Way name pending for that 360 00:14:43,716 --> 00:14:46,619 location still, but it's 75 units. 361 00:14:46,619 --> 00:14:50,054 Micro shelter model, pallet shelter to be developing that 362 00:14:50,288 --> 00:14:52,825 and Emanuel community services in partnership 363 00:14:52,825 --> 00:14:55,293 with everybody deserves housing as the operator 364 00:14:56,394 --> 00:14:59,398 and it we'll be focusing on a higher needs population 365 00:14:59,431 --> 00:15:02,701 so we will be having onsite appropriate onsite services 366 00:15:02,701 --> 00:15:03,701 to help support 367 00:15:03,701 --> 00:15:05,971 those high needs, including case management, 368 00:15:05,971 --> 00:15:08,941 behavioral health support and substance use treatment. 369 00:15:08,941 --> 00:15:10,408 So if you go to the next slide, 370 00:15:10,408 --> 00:15:11,644 I also want to shout out, 371 00:15:11,644 --> 00:15:14,413 as the mayor mentioned, we have already on our radar. 372 00:15:14,413 --> 00:15:16,682 These were already planned sites, but we're also in court 373 00:15:16,682 --> 00:15:20,019 like rallying our permitting departments to really expedite 374 00:15:20,184 --> 00:15:20,952 the processes. 375 00:15:20,952 --> 00:15:23,956 And wherever a provider is stuck on these sites, 376 00:15:24,222 --> 00:15:26,292 figuring out how we can how we can work through it 377 00:15:26,292 --> 00:15:28,226 and how we can get these set up. 378 00:15:28,226 --> 00:15:31,230 So this is also planned for 2026. 379 00:15:32,030 --> 00:15:33,331 And the next slide, 380 00:15:33,331 --> 00:15:34,365 I also want to touch on 381 00:15:34,365 --> 00:15:36,835 a little bit of the public safety aspect 382 00:15:36,835 --> 00:15:39,871 and community partnership with regard to public safety. 383 00:15:40,205 --> 00:15:41,974 You can kind of think about it through three 384 00:15:41,974 --> 00:15:42,740 different lenses, 385 00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:44,610 and this is something we've shared with counsel 386 00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:46,711 throughout this whole process as well 387 00:15:46,711 --> 00:15:49,081 is around first one around operational safety. 388 00:15:49,081 --> 00:15:51,350 We're going to have 24 seven staffing 389 00:15:51,350 --> 00:15:54,352 and defined site boundaries at all of these sites. 390 00:15:54,385 --> 00:15:56,587 As far as community expectations. 391 00:15:56,587 --> 00:15:59,158 All of our residents who join these sites will be 392 00:15:59,158 --> 00:16:02,461 will agree to a resident community code of conduct 393 00:16:03,328 --> 00:16:06,331 to respect all neighbors and shared spaces in the area. 394 00:16:06,932 --> 00:16:10,068 And then we'll also have community advisory committees 395 00:16:10,769 --> 00:16:13,504 tied to each of these sites where neighbors can come 396 00:16:13,504 --> 00:16:14,940 and join monthly meetings 397 00:16:14,940 --> 00:16:17,342 to give feedback and work in partnership 398 00:16:17,342 --> 00:16:20,144 with the operator of developing the site. 399 00:16:20,144 --> 00:16:21,447 And if you go to the next slide, 400 00:16:21,447 --> 00:16:23,182 I just also want to note two pieces 401 00:16:23,182 --> 00:16:25,451 on sort of neighborhood coordination. 402 00:16:25,451 --> 00:16:27,119 The Good Neighbor Agreement, every site, 403 00:16:27,119 --> 00:16:29,855 every operator will be signing a good neighbor agreement 404 00:16:30,822 --> 00:16:32,423 to work alongside our 405 00:16:32,423 --> 00:16:35,827 neighbors and address concerns in an appropriate manner. 406 00:16:36,361 --> 00:16:38,864 And then around site safety design, 407 00:16:38,864 --> 00:16:40,099 this is something we'll be partnering 408 00:16:40,099 --> 00:16:42,835 with the police, Seattle Police Department. 409 00:16:42,835 --> 00:16:45,803 And as we're even designing so very upfront over 410 00:16:45,803 --> 00:16:47,673 upstream in the process, 411 00:16:47,673 --> 00:16:49,875 how can we incorporate best practices from what's 412 00:16:49,875 --> 00:16:52,910 called crime prevention through environmental design? 413 00:16:52,945 --> 00:16:54,379 So that's September. 414 00:16:54,379 --> 00:16:57,182 So how can we leverage things like lighting and increased 415 00:16:57,182 --> 00:16:58,417 sightlines to help 416 00:16:58,417 --> 00:16:59,684 not only 417 00:16:59,684 --> 00:17:00,385 increase safety 418 00:17:00,385 --> 00:17:01,486 for those living 419 00:17:01,486 --> 00:17:03,288 in the sites themselves, 420 00:17:03,288 --> 00:17:05,391 but also for the surrounding neighborhood? 421 00:17:05,391 --> 00:17:07,893 And then we also have a fire safety review baked again 422 00:17:07,893 --> 00:17:09,127 into our design process 423 00:17:09,127 --> 00:17:11,430 and then as an inspection to ensure that all 424 00:17:11,430 --> 00:17:14,432 sites are safe, secure and meet our fire codes. 425 00:17:15,467 --> 00:17:17,036 So that was a lot of information. 426 00:17:17,036 --> 00:17:19,304 But just kind of want to show you where we're at. 427 00:17:19,304 --> 00:17:22,307 We're excited to soon be able to announce even more sites. 428 00:17:23,008 --> 00:17:24,809 And then I will say I'll give a plug to 429 00:17:24,809 --> 00:17:28,012 if you know of any landlords that have private property 430 00:17:28,012 --> 00:17:30,481 that is on flat paved land that you think 431 00:17:30,481 --> 00:17:32,584 might be good for this, please send it our way. 432 00:17:32,584 --> 00:17:35,887 We'd love to continue to gather more options for sites 433 00:17:36,422 --> 00:17:37,388 or if there's a nonprofit 434 00:17:37,388 --> 00:17:39,324 organization with Underutilized land, 435 00:17:39,324 --> 00:17:40,692 we'd love to partner with you 436 00:17:40,692 --> 00:17:42,461 as we continue to expand our options. 437 00:17:43,694 --> 00:17:44,262 -Cool. 438 00:17:44,262 --> 00:17:45,029 I'm really excited to 439 00:17:45,029 --> 00:17:48,032 be back up here moderating this amazing panel. 440 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,270 So I'm just going to ask our panelists some questions. 441 00:17:52,270 --> 00:17:53,538 And then I think 442 00:17:53,538 --> 00:17:55,039 after that, we're going to have 443 00:17:55,039 --> 00:17:58,042 a little bit of time for for the Q&A. So, 444 00:17:58,210 --> 00:18:01,212 Erika, I'd like to start with you 445 00:18:01,814 --> 00:18:04,916 and maybe I don't know if you want 446 00:18:04,916 --> 00:18:07,920 to tell people a little bit about your background, 447 00:18:08,787 --> 00:18:11,957 but the question I have for you 448 00:18:11,957 --> 00:18:15,527 is public safety is something everyone cares about. 449 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,230 From your perspective, what does it mean for someone 450 00:18:19,230 --> 00:18:22,500 to have a truly safe place to sleep at night? 451 00:18:28,973 --> 00:18:30,709 -Sorry, Can you hear me? 452 00:18:30,709 --> 00:18:32,778 Okay? My name is Erika Frodsham. 453 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:35,780 I'm a senior outreach specialist with Co-lead. 454 00:18:36,147 --> 00:18:39,384 And I come here with lived experience 455 00:18:39,750 --> 00:18:42,488 as somebody coming with many years living outside 456 00:18:42,488 --> 00:18:44,856 in the city of Seattle, north Seattle, mostly. 457 00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:49,595 And decades of substance use. 458 00:18:50,461 --> 00:18:52,064 I have now been off of substances 459 00:18:52,064 --> 00:18:55,067 and inside for almost ten years... 460 00:19:00,071 --> 00:19:01,173 and work. 461 00:19:01,173 --> 00:19:06,310 I now work with folks that are living outside 462 00:19:06,811 --> 00:19:10,115 in Seattle, houses in Seattle and bringing them 463 00:19:10,115 --> 00:19:13,618 inside to our lodging program. 464 00:19:14,153 --> 00:19:17,155 So that's enough about me. 465 00:19:18,022 --> 00:19:20,992 It's really kind of boring. 466 00:19:22,260 --> 00:19:25,530 What Public safety is something we all care about. 467 00:19:25,530 --> 00:19:26,798 What does it mean for someone 468 00:19:26,798 --> 00:19:29,367 to have a truly safe place to sleep at night? 469 00:19:29,367 --> 00:19:32,371 I thought about this question 470 00:19:32,403 --> 00:19:35,007 a lot when I found out 471 00:19:35,007 --> 00:19:38,009 where exactly this meeting was being held. 472 00:19:38,143 --> 00:19:39,678 So when I started doing this 473 00:19:39,678 --> 00:19:42,681 work, I worked in overnight shelters 474 00:19:43,615 --> 00:19:46,617 in City Hall 475 00:19:47,653 --> 00:19:51,355 and I remember 476 00:19:51,957 --> 00:19:54,660 being here and in the beginning and I 477 00:19:54,660 --> 00:19:59,463 it baffled me that people when you once you entered, 478 00:19:59,463 --> 00:20:01,900 you could not leave until the morning. 479 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:04,502 And it baffled me that people would come in 480 00:20:05,737 --> 00:20:06,672 for an hour or 481 00:20:06,672 --> 00:20:09,674 two and then leave. 482 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,844 It's out in the cold. 483 00:20:14,246 --> 00:20:15,180 And I didn't get it. 484 00:20:15,180 --> 00:20:16,682 I didn't understand it. 485 00:20:16,682 --> 00:20:18,150 And the more I've done this work, 486 00:20:18,150 --> 00:20:18,951 I understand 487 00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:20,952 now that they had to make that choice 488 00:20:20,952 --> 00:20:24,990 of whether they were going to be inside and safe and warm 489 00:20:27,259 --> 00:20:30,261 or outside 490 00:20:30,362 --> 00:20:33,432 so that they could get well or not 491 00:20:33,432 --> 00:20:37,102 experience DTS because they needed a drink 492 00:20:38,303 --> 00:20:40,404 or because that was the only time 493 00:20:40,404 --> 00:20:41,640 that they could make money 494 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,875 to be able to survive the next day. 495 00:20:43,875 --> 00:20:46,877 So they had to choose survival or safety. 496 00:20:46,877 --> 00:20:49,881 And that's not okay. 497 00:20:50,715 --> 00:20:53,384 We can't we can't have systems like that. 498 00:20:53,384 --> 00:20:54,752 That's not that. 499 00:20:54,752 --> 00:20:58,022 That's I think I got a little bit off of topic, but 500 00:20:59,657 --> 00:21:03,127 in order for somebody to truly be safe, 501 00:21:03,127 --> 00:21:05,663 they need to be able to not have to choose 502 00:21:05,663 --> 00:21:07,266 which needs need to be met. 503 00:21:15,007 --> 00:21:17,108 -Thank you, Erica. 504 00:21:17,108 --> 00:21:19,577 I want to turn now to Dennis. 505 00:21:19,577 --> 00:21:20,444 Can you talk a little bit 506 00:21:20,444 --> 00:21:24,182 about the role that businesses have already played 507 00:21:24,249 --> 00:21:25,717 in responding to homelessness 508 00:21:25,717 --> 00:21:28,220 and housing instability in Seattle? 509 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:29,820 -Absolutely. Happy to, Mayor. 510 00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:30,454 Thank you. 511 00:21:30,454 --> 00:21:32,958 And also just want to recognize 512 00:21:32,958 --> 00:21:35,926 many of the providers, the residents, folks 513 00:21:35,926 --> 00:21:37,128 in the crowd here 514 00:21:37,128 --> 00:21:39,298 who've advocated and supported these policies. 515 00:21:39,298 --> 00:21:40,731 And we're grateful for you 516 00:21:40,731 --> 00:21:43,634 moving forward with these three ordinances. 517 00:21:43,634 --> 00:21:46,672 The businesses have been long active, 518 00:21:46,672 --> 00:21:49,674 working on approaches to support, 519 00:21:49,775 --> 00:21:52,778 responding to homelessness and housing instability. 520 00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:56,048 Many of the businesses recently supported 521 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,084 the doubling of the housing levy in 2023. 522 00:21:59,518 --> 00:22:00,585 That's a record level of 523 00:22:00,585 --> 00:22:04,088 investment in housing across all levels of the spectrum 524 00:22:04,455 --> 00:22:06,157 and really creates 525 00:22:06,157 --> 00:22:09,161 an opportunity for to bring people inside. 526 00:22:09,361 --> 00:22:10,429 I had the opportunity to work 527 00:22:10,429 --> 00:22:13,097 for a housing provider for four and a half years 528 00:22:13,097 --> 00:22:16,801 and we created over 500 units of housing, permanent 529 00:22:16,801 --> 00:22:18,603 supportive housing, 530 00:22:18,603 --> 00:22:21,940 and during some of that time period and really provide 531 00:22:21,940 --> 00:22:23,674 an opportunity for people to get inside 532 00:22:25,143 --> 00:22:26,377 the housing levy 533 00:22:26,377 --> 00:22:30,281 will create 3000 new homes by 2030 and 534 00:22:30,281 --> 00:22:33,451 is just a really excellent investment and use of funding. 535 00:22:34,653 --> 00:22:37,622 But separately, businesses are also 536 00:22:37,756 --> 00:22:40,892 a huge contributor to the tax base that creates 537 00:22:40,892 --> 00:22:43,862 opportunities to develop new types of housing 538 00:22:43,994 --> 00:22:47,365 and also provide services in wraparound housing, 539 00:22:47,898 --> 00:22:49,101 including enhanced shelter 540 00:22:49,101 --> 00:22:51,169 and permanent supportive housing. 541 00:22:51,169 --> 00:22:54,172 Some of those funding sources include jump start funding, 542 00:22:54,205 --> 00:22:58,943 funding for social housing and the new changed B.N.O. tax. 543 00:22:59,544 --> 00:23:03,280 Those combined are many of the largest businesses 544 00:23:03,882 --> 00:23:06,518 pay those costs and 545 00:23:06,518 --> 00:23:09,520 that raises more than half a billion dollars each year. 546 00:23:09,755 --> 00:23:11,123 And much of that funding goes 547 00:23:11,123 --> 00:23:13,224 towards housing and homelessness. 548 00:23:13,224 --> 00:23:16,228 You've also seen a tremendous amount of investments 549 00:23:16,461 --> 00:23:20,598 from companies like Starbucks, Amazon, Microsoft 550 00:23:21,633 --> 00:23:22,800 that have created 551 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,303 thousands of units for people in this region. 552 00:23:25,303 --> 00:23:27,271 Separately on the philanthropy side. 553 00:23:28,539 --> 00:23:30,541 -Thank you, Dennis. 554 00:23:30,541 --> 00:23:31,910 thank you, Dennis. 555 00:23:31,910 --> 00:23:33,711 Awesome. Okay. 556 00:23:33,711 --> 00:23:35,413 And then Margaret, 557 00:23:35,413 --> 00:23:38,416 So you're you're a neighbor to a tiny house village. 558 00:23:38,849 --> 00:23:41,318 What initial concerns did you hear from neighbors 559 00:23:41,318 --> 00:23:42,887 when the village was proposed, 560 00:23:42,887 --> 00:23:45,891 and how has that evolved over time? 561 00:23:45,923 --> 00:23:47,459 -Thanks, and thanks for having me here. 562 00:23:47,459 --> 00:23:49,560 And I'm glad to see so many people here 563 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:51,695 hope their other neighbors like me here. 564 00:23:51,695 --> 00:23:54,699 And yeah, I live in Lake City and 565 00:23:55,133 --> 00:23:57,969 around the summer I heard about a public meeting 566 00:23:57,969 --> 00:24:01,940 being held about a new tiny home village in Lake City. 567 00:24:02,339 --> 00:24:04,910 And I went to that meeting not knowing where 568 00:24:04,910 --> 00:24:07,144 it was going to be sited. And it turns out that it's 569 00:24:07,144 --> 00:24:09,181 about four blocks from my house. 570 00:24:09,181 --> 00:24:12,150 And I went to that meeting 571 00:24:13,585 --> 00:24:14,719 knowing that 572 00:24:14,719 --> 00:24:16,922 some good things about tiny house villages, 573 00:24:16,922 --> 00:24:18,957 but really having a lot of questions. 574 00:24:18,957 --> 00:24:21,960 And so I heard the questions that, you know, 575 00:24:22,126 --> 00:24:23,161 there were my questions 576 00:24:23,161 --> 00:24:26,263 or my neighbors questions at that meeting last summer. 577 00:24:26,464 --> 00:24:28,799 There have been other discussions since then. 578 00:24:28,799 --> 00:24:30,000 And just recently 579 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,069 I helped organize a little community zoom 580 00:24:32,069 --> 00:24:34,138 with people to learn more about the village 581 00:24:34,138 --> 00:24:35,574 now that it's just opened up. 582 00:24:35,574 --> 00:24:37,509 So, you know, one of the 583 00:24:37,509 --> 00:24:38,676 one of the challenges 584 00:24:38,676 --> 00:24:41,680 with this in the neighborhoods is that, 585 00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:43,582 you know, in my neighborhood in Lake City, 586 00:24:43,582 --> 00:24:46,585 probably not unlike many others in the city, 587 00:24:46,651 --> 00:24:47,184 you know, 588 00:24:47,184 --> 00:24:49,153 there has been a lot of frustration 589 00:24:49,153 --> 00:24:52,089 with not seeing solutions to this problem. 590 00:24:52,089 --> 00:24:54,792 So this conversation, unfortunately, kind of starts 591 00:24:54,792 --> 00:24:55,359 there. 592 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,163 It starts from a place of frustration, 593 00:24:58,163 --> 00:25:01,031 of some skepticism of concern. 594 00:25:01,031 --> 00:25:03,602 Some people come in with fears and, 595 00:25:04,603 --> 00:25:06,570 you know, a sense of neglect. 596 00:25:06,570 --> 00:25:10,575 And the first reaction, therefore, you know, 597 00:25:10,575 --> 00:25:13,711 is sometimes a hard one in these community meetings. 598 00:25:13,711 --> 00:25:15,779 But what I saw happen 599 00:25:15,779 --> 00:25:17,281 and what is continuing to happen 600 00:25:17,281 --> 00:25:20,251 as people learn about it is once people hear 601 00:25:20,251 --> 00:25:22,854 about how this tiny house village 602 00:25:22,854 --> 00:25:25,856 is going to be operated by co-lead, 603 00:25:26,758 --> 00:25:29,227 it's really an amazing service model. 604 00:25:29,227 --> 00:25:31,796 It will be staffed 24 seven. 605 00:25:31,796 --> 00:25:33,265 They have security. 606 00:25:33,265 --> 00:25:33,932 They have 607 00:25:33,932 --> 00:25:36,934 all sorts of services that wrap around service model 608 00:25:37,134 --> 00:25:38,236 for the residents. 609 00:25:38,236 --> 00:25:40,838 There are required case management meetings 610 00:25:40,838 --> 00:25:44,608 for every resident every week to stay in the village. 611 00:25:45,544 --> 00:25:47,045 I've now volunteered. 612 00:25:47,045 --> 00:25:48,145 I got so excited about it. 613 00:25:48,145 --> 00:25:50,915 I volunteered to be on the Community Advisory Council. 614 00:25:50,915 --> 00:25:51,316 We're just 615 00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:55,153 about to start meeting and there are going to be ways 616 00:25:55,153 --> 00:25:56,922 that community members can say, Hey, 617 00:25:56,922 --> 00:25:58,490 there's something going on at this village 618 00:25:58,490 --> 00:25:59,790 that we need you to know about. 619 00:25:59,790 --> 00:26:01,492 It needs to be addressed. 620 00:26:01,492 --> 00:26:04,863 So what I've seen happen is that as people 621 00:26:04,863 --> 00:26:07,999 learn the nuts and bolts of how these villages 622 00:26:07,999 --> 00:26:10,201 will operate, how they're going to be staffed, 623 00:26:10,201 --> 00:26:11,936 how the residents will be served, 624 00:26:13,605 --> 00:26:15,740 those concerns start to fade away. 625 00:26:15,740 --> 00:26:17,041 And I have seen like 626 00:26:17,041 --> 00:26:18,042 like for myself, 627 00:26:18,042 --> 00:26:20,444 I really didn't have more time in my schedule, 628 00:26:20,444 --> 00:26:22,547 but I said I want to help more with this. 629 00:26:22,547 --> 00:26:24,182 And I've seen other neighbors saying, 630 00:26:24,182 --> 00:26:25,849 you know, how can we donate clothing? 631 00:26:25,849 --> 00:26:27,986 How can we donate something to this? 632 00:26:27,986 --> 00:26:30,922 It's gotten people excited about solutions. 633 00:26:30,922 --> 00:26:32,457 I'm sure there's still naysayers 634 00:26:32,457 --> 00:26:33,791 there that have to see it happen. 635 00:26:33,791 --> 00:26:35,894 That's okay. But for a lot of us, 636 00:26:35,894 --> 00:26:38,363 it's the solution we were looking for. 637 00:26:38,363 --> 00:26:40,999 And I just add that, you know, 638 00:26:40,999 --> 00:26:42,666 some of the statistics I've heard 639 00:26:42,666 --> 00:26:44,501 are really impressive, too. 640 00:26:44,501 --> 00:26:48,006 I had seen the maple leaf, tiny house village be created 641 00:26:48,573 --> 00:26:51,576 some time back and to hear that 642 00:26:51,776 --> 00:26:54,980 when last summer the statistic I heard was 59% 643 00:26:54,980 --> 00:26:58,016 of the people that have gone into that tiny house villages 644 00:26:58,016 --> 00:27:00,117 have now gone on to permanent housing. 645 00:27:00,117 --> 00:27:01,720 That's amazing. 646 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,623 That's the solution we've all been looking for. 647 00:27:04,623 --> 00:27:07,659 So it's going to take some time and education. 648 00:27:08,292 --> 00:27:11,429 But I really believe that people in Seattle 649 00:27:11,429 --> 00:27:13,897 are ready to see this solved. So thank you. 650 00:27:18,737 --> 00:27:19,136 -Thank you. 651 00:27:19,136 --> 00:27:20,672 Thank you, Margaret. 652 00:27:20,672 --> 00:27:23,674 So, Erika, coming back to you, 653 00:27:23,674 --> 00:27:26,310 what does meaningful support look like 654 00:27:26,310 --> 00:27:28,946 for someone to come inside and be able to stay inside, 655 00:27:28,946 --> 00:27:31,950 especially for people with complex needs? 656 00:27:36,887 --> 00:27:37,855 -I think that varies 657 00:27:37,855 --> 00:27:40,858 for each person, each individual person. 658 00:27:40,858 --> 00:27:43,994 But really it starts with a conversation 659 00:27:45,163 --> 00:27:48,165 in re humanizing 660 00:27:48,298 --> 00:27:51,736 somebody, giving somebody some hope that 661 00:27:52,971 --> 00:27:55,140 that that things can look different 662 00:27:55,140 --> 00:27:57,275 and things can be different. 663 00:27:57,275 --> 00:27:59,611 It just takes some work. 664 00:27:59,611 --> 00:28:02,646 I think it takes a lot of walking alongside people 665 00:28:04,015 --> 00:28:06,817 and letting, you know, just been having real 666 00:28:06,817 --> 00:28:09,854 honest conversations with people about 667 00:28:11,189 --> 00:28:14,259 whatever their challenges are, whatever their barriers are, 668 00:28:14,659 --> 00:28:19,564 and normalizing it so that there's a level of trust. 669 00:28:19,663 --> 00:28:21,365 Because once there's a level of trust, 670 00:28:21,365 --> 00:28:24,368 there's open communication and open dialog. 671 00:28:25,002 --> 00:28:28,173 I've seen it happen many, many times 672 00:28:28,740 --> 00:28:32,176 where people come in and 673 00:28:33,944 --> 00:28:35,145 have been pushed 674 00:28:35,145 --> 00:28:38,148 aside for so long and pushed away 675 00:28:39,517 --> 00:28:42,519 that it takes some time for some trust to be built. 676 00:28:42,619 --> 00:28:44,556 And as that trust is built, they become 677 00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:46,090 they become more open 678 00:28:46,090 --> 00:28:47,392 and more honest about what's 679 00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:49,560 really going on in their lives. 680 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,763 And it's through those deep conversations and 681 00:28:53,998 --> 00:28:57,167 and trust that's built when somebody is ready 682 00:28:57,167 --> 00:28:59,738 for some change in their life to make a change, 683 00:28:59,738 --> 00:29:03,107 they know where they can go to to receive those services. 684 00:29:03,107 --> 00:29:05,609 We all know that when somebody wants to like 685 00:29:05,609 --> 00:29:07,778 has that moment where they want change 686 00:29:07,778 --> 00:29:09,948 and they want to do something different, 687 00:29:09,948 --> 00:29:11,950 you don't have very long. 688 00:29:11,950 --> 00:29:14,986 And so like when you've built that trusting relationship 689 00:29:14,986 --> 00:29:15,920 with somebody 690 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,957 that that knows the resources and can make the phone calls 691 00:29:18,957 --> 00:29:20,258 and can get you to where you need 692 00:29:20,258 --> 00:29:21,925 to go to make that next step, 693 00:29:23,161 --> 00:29:24,863 it happens so much easier. 694 00:29:24,863 --> 00:29:25,563 I can't tell you 695 00:29:25,563 --> 00:29:29,666 how many times in my active use that I went to detox 696 00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:32,002 and I would make it through detox 697 00:29:32,002 --> 00:29:33,805 and there wouldn't be a treatment bed open. 698 00:29:33,805 --> 00:29:36,039 And so then I was I would return to 699 00:29:36,039 --> 00:29:39,176 where I was at and I would make it for maybe 700 00:29:39,176 --> 00:29:42,614 a day or two before, like I was vulnerable. 701 00:29:42,614 --> 00:29:44,281 I was a woman and I was on the street. 702 00:29:44,281 --> 00:29:46,250 And so I needed something to keep me awake. 703 00:29:46,250 --> 00:29:49,253 So I was safe because I wasn't safe to sleep. 704 00:29:49,386 --> 00:29:53,490 And so, like being able to have that that support, 705 00:29:53,490 --> 00:29:57,694 that that wraparound support that 706 00:29:58,229 --> 00:30:00,632 so you have somebody working on your side 707 00:30:00,632 --> 00:30:03,268 to make sure that when you you if you decide that 708 00:30:03,268 --> 00:30:04,736 that's the route that you want to take 709 00:30:04,736 --> 00:30:05,769 when you're done with detox, 710 00:30:05,769 --> 00:30:07,372 that you have a treatment bed open. 711 00:30:07,372 --> 00:30:09,641 And then when that treatment bed is open, 712 00:30:09,641 --> 00:30:11,942 what is housing look like for you now? 713 00:30:12,911 --> 00:30:14,578 What is going to be safe for you? 714 00:30:14,578 --> 00:30:15,212 Right. 715 00:30:15,212 --> 00:30:19,317 And trying to do that on your own is nearly impossible. 716 00:30:19,317 --> 00:30:20,951 It's so difficult. 717 00:30:20,951 --> 00:30:22,720 But when you have it, when you have built 718 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,721 those relationships with people 719 00:30:24,721 --> 00:30:27,491 and and you have wraparound case management 720 00:30:27,491 --> 00:30:29,426 and you have a community you now have 721 00:30:29,426 --> 00:30:30,795 and I'm not trying to be 722 00:30:30,795 --> 00:30:33,798 cliche here a village surrounded around you, 723 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:35,900 but I just came in my head. 724 00:30:35,900 --> 00:30:38,803 I saw 725 00:30:38,803 --> 00:30:40,471 like it just makes it 726 00:30:40,471 --> 00:30:43,441 it it creates a space for hope, 727 00:30:43,740 --> 00:30:46,176 which is where change comes from. Right. 728 00:30:46,176 --> 00:30:48,278 Change stems from hope. 729 00:30:48,278 --> 00:30:50,381 And so that's. 730 00:30:50,381 --> 00:30:53,084 Yeah, 731 00:30:53,084 --> 00:30:58,923 you too. 732 00:30:59,723 --> 00:31:02,292 -Thank you, Erica. 733 00:31:02,292 --> 00:31:03,961 Back to Dennis. 734 00:31:03,961 --> 00:31:06,029 Why does this moment call for a 735 00:31:06,029 --> 00:31:09,000 coordinated citywide response? 736 00:31:09,267 --> 00:31:09,968 -Thank you, Mayor. 737 00:31:09,968 --> 00:31:12,237 I really appreciate that question. 738 00:31:12,237 --> 00:31:15,573 And I want to talk just really briefly about DSA 739 00:31:15,573 --> 00:31:19,042 as a DSA is a membership organization that represents 740 00:31:19,042 --> 00:31:22,579 1200 businesses and residents throughout the downtown core, 741 00:31:23,513 --> 00:31:27,050 but also many of you may not know that the DSA manages 742 00:31:27,352 --> 00:31:29,653 the Metropolitan Improvement District. 743 00:31:29,653 --> 00:31:32,056 One of my coworkers is here. 744 00:31:32,056 --> 00:31:33,023 He's an ambassador. 745 00:31:34,224 --> 00:31:34,659 Yeah. 746 00:31:34,659 --> 00:31:37,662 Hey, thanks for the work you do. 747 00:31:38,596 --> 00:31:41,598 There are 165 ambassadors throughout the city 748 00:31:42,232 --> 00:31:45,903 and many people don't know that they work 7:30 a.m. 749 00:31:45,903 --> 00:31:48,705 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. 750 00:31:48,705 --> 00:31:51,709 And a lot of us who arrive to work later in the day 751 00:31:52,143 --> 00:31:55,980 see clean streets and don't see a lot of debris 752 00:31:55,980 --> 00:31:59,182 and also see people who often have been helped 753 00:31:59,182 --> 00:32:02,819 or have been referred to services with PDA 754 00:32:02,819 --> 00:32:05,823 or with REACH or with the care team. 755 00:32:06,156 --> 00:32:07,491 And that can happen in part 756 00:32:07,491 --> 00:32:09,059 because those ambassadors are out there 757 00:32:09,059 --> 00:32:11,395 doing wake up every morning. 758 00:32:11,395 --> 00:32:15,500 And those ambassadors really understand and see the 759 00:32:15,666 --> 00:32:16,601 the they're 760 00:32:16,601 --> 00:32:17,701 the eyes on the ground 761 00:32:17,701 --> 00:32:20,371 and really doing that work every day. 762 00:32:20,371 --> 00:32:23,607 They serve from I-5 to the waterfront and Danny 763 00:32:23,607 --> 00:32:25,343 to the stadiums. 764 00:32:25,343 --> 00:32:26,109 And, you know, 765 00:32:26,109 --> 00:32:29,113 they really experience the gaps in the system. 766 00:32:29,146 --> 00:32:30,580 You know, there are times where, 767 00:32:31,682 --> 00:32:33,084 you know, they face challenges, 768 00:32:33,084 --> 00:32:35,353 where there may be people who are unresponsive 769 00:32:35,353 --> 00:32:36,186 and it's difficult 770 00:32:36,186 --> 00:32:39,190 to get to get them assistance right away. 771 00:32:39,523 --> 00:32:42,359 So we try and work with speed or medic one 772 00:32:42,359 --> 00:32:44,394 and get them the care that they need. 773 00:32:44,394 --> 00:32:47,397 But what we realize is that we can't do it alone. 774 00:32:47,865 --> 00:32:50,500 We know that it's important to partner with groups 775 00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:54,305 like PTA, with REACH, with the Unified Care team 776 00:32:54,939 --> 00:32:58,241 to really try and coordinated effort to get people inside 777 00:32:58,509 --> 00:33:00,444 so that they have a safe place to stay. 778 00:33:00,444 --> 00:33:01,712 And they don't have to be worried 779 00:33:01,712 --> 00:33:04,682 about sleeping at night. 780 00:33:05,115 --> 00:33:05,450 Yeah. 781 00:33:05,450 --> 00:33:08,553 -Thank you, Dennis. Yes. 782 00:33:09,519 --> 00:33:11,288 And yeah, I actually didn't realize 783 00:33:11,288 --> 00:33:13,391 that there were that many ambassadors, 784 00:33:13,391 --> 00:33:15,526 but that's such a such a successful 785 00:33:15,526 --> 00:33:17,095 and important program. So thank you. 786 00:33:19,297 --> 00:33:22,834 Margaret, what has your day to day experience 787 00:33:22,834 --> 00:33:25,836 been like living near the tiny house village? 788 00:33:26,636 --> 00:33:28,705 And I know you spoke a little bit to this already, 789 00:33:28,705 --> 00:33:29,941 but if there's anything you want to add about 790 00:33:29,941 --> 00:33:33,478 what have you seen that helps neighbors, helps people move 791 00:33:33,478 --> 00:33:36,513 to from concern to connection with the village? 792 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:38,516 -Okay. 793 00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:38,883 Well, 794 00:33:38,883 --> 00:33:41,118 so the Olympic Hills Townhouse Village, 795 00:33:41,118 --> 00:33:43,554 I think it might be the newest one in the city. 796 00:33:43,554 --> 00:33:46,356 So it just opened in February 797 00:33:46,356 --> 00:33:50,294 and my understanding is that all of the 44 798 00:33:50,294 --> 00:33:51,929 units are already, 799 00:33:51,929 --> 00:33:53,897 you know, designated assigned 800 00:33:53,897 --> 00:33:55,900 for people that are going to come in off the street. 801 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:57,501 Some people have already come in. 802 00:33:57,501 --> 00:33:59,470 Other people are moving in. 803 00:33:59,470 --> 00:34:02,539 So we're still pretty new. But, 804 00:34:03,708 --> 00:34:05,542 you know, I took a walk down there today 805 00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:07,345 on a nice sunny midday day. 806 00:34:07,345 --> 00:34:11,715 And, you know, it's a very nice looking village. 807 00:34:11,715 --> 00:34:15,753 It is tucked into an empty lot and it's got 808 00:34:15,753 --> 00:34:17,320 a security fence around it. 809 00:34:18,588 --> 00:34:20,358 It's got great facilities inside. 810 00:34:20,358 --> 00:34:23,061 So it was all quiet and tidy there. 811 00:34:23,061 --> 00:34:26,097 And then I was really excited to see a public health 812 00:34:26,097 --> 00:34:27,998 Seattle King County van outside. 813 00:34:27,998 --> 00:34:30,501 So I'm I'm a public health professional myself. 814 00:34:30,501 --> 00:34:33,538 So I got all nosy and went up and talked to them. 815 00:34:33,838 --> 00:34:37,041 And they are the street medicine team 816 00:34:37,574 --> 00:34:40,978 and they come up to Lake City every Wednesday. 817 00:34:40,978 --> 00:34:42,213 They'll be regularly stopping 818 00:34:42,213 --> 00:34:44,248 by the village every Wednesday, and 819 00:34:44,248 --> 00:34:47,251 they were helping a resident with some foot care. 820 00:34:47,985 --> 00:34:50,822 And it's great to know about them. 821 00:34:50,822 --> 00:34:52,190 Great to know that they're coming up 822 00:34:52,190 --> 00:34:53,657 and helping neighbors. 823 00:34:53,657 --> 00:34:56,661 And so these are the services 824 00:34:56,860 --> 00:35:00,130 that we're seeing and it kind of comes back to that. 825 00:35:00,130 --> 00:35:00,398 You know, 826 00:35:00,398 --> 00:35:03,400 what will help people feel more comfortable with that? 827 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,038 And then what I will say, it made me feel comfortable 828 00:35:07,038 --> 00:35:08,639 and I think is helping neighbors 829 00:35:08,639 --> 00:35:10,474 feel more comfortable is, 830 00:35:10,474 --> 00:35:13,510 you know, if you're someone that has concerns about this, 831 00:35:13,543 --> 00:35:17,248 try to find some time, get out and go to an open house. 832 00:35:17,248 --> 00:35:19,217 Like going to the open house for the tiny house 833 00:35:19,217 --> 00:35:22,018 village was great because you go in and you 834 00:35:22,018 --> 00:35:23,420 I talked to co-lead staff. 835 00:35:23,420 --> 00:35:27,125 I could walk through the village and see facilities there. 836 00:35:28,492 --> 00:35:31,394 It changes it from being like, 837 00:35:31,394 --> 00:35:33,130 you know, maybe a little bit scary 838 00:35:33,130 --> 00:35:35,967 or just unknown place in your neighborhood to like, 839 00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:37,268 I know what's going on in there. 840 00:35:37,268 --> 00:35:40,070 I see. I see what it is. 841 00:35:40,070 --> 00:35:42,840 I had a similar experience 842 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,143 with Tent City for that is still in Lake City 843 00:35:45,143 --> 00:35:46,577 and I'm glad they're staying in Lake City 844 00:35:46,577 --> 00:35:48,211 because they've been good neighbors with us. 845 00:35:48,211 --> 00:35:49,547 But you know, going 846 00:35:49,547 --> 00:35:50,947 going to one of their community 847 00:35:50,947 --> 00:35:53,951 open houses and talking to some folks that live there, 848 00:35:54,085 --> 00:35:57,221 I help them move a year ago and discovered that 849 00:35:57,922 --> 00:36:01,858 that the lights go off and somebody needs to move 850 00:36:01,858 --> 00:36:04,862 more maybe or 851 00:36:04,929 --> 00:36:07,931 okay, well, we're saving energy. 852 00:36:08,865 --> 00:36:09,699 Okay, here we go. 853 00:36:09,699 --> 00:36:11,302 Okay. 854 00:36:11,302 --> 00:36:14,304 So, yeah, I think what can help people 855 00:36:14,338 --> 00:36:17,041 move to more comfort is is getting involved in some way. 856 00:36:17,041 --> 00:36:19,844 When I went to help tent city for move 857 00:36:19,844 --> 00:36:21,411 first of all I what I heard 858 00:36:21,411 --> 00:36:23,880 is that the residents and the staff plan the move 859 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,248 and it's like they were so efficient 860 00:36:25,248 --> 00:36:27,117 that by the time volunteers like me showed up, 861 00:36:27,117 --> 00:36:28,952 they'd already moved most of the stuff. 862 00:36:28,952 --> 00:36:31,956 But I got to help that, help some folks there 863 00:36:32,590 --> 00:36:35,592 reassemble a big community tent, 864 00:36:35,893 --> 00:36:39,130 which was like a huge jigsaw puzzle of PVC pipes. 865 00:36:39,630 --> 00:36:42,900 And we actually had a really good time 866 00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:44,367 working together, figuring it out. 867 00:36:44,367 --> 00:36:46,971 And I walked away wishing that all of my work teams 868 00:36:46,971 --> 00:36:49,139 would be as collaborative as the folks in Tent City 869 00:36:49,139 --> 00:36:50,840 for when we were figuring out 870 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,744 why there weren't enough of this piece in that piece. 871 00:36:53,744 --> 00:36:57,414 And so and then also through those experience is 872 00:36:57,414 --> 00:36:58,014 I think what will 873 00:36:58,014 --> 00:37:01,018 help us all feel more comfortable is starting to 874 00:37:01,184 --> 00:37:04,521 really put those human faces on things, 875 00:37:04,822 --> 00:37:07,757 maybe figure out ways that we can learn more stories 876 00:37:07,757 --> 00:37:11,762 about these neighbors of ours and the different ways 877 00:37:11,762 --> 00:37:15,532 that they are working to get their lives back together 878 00:37:15,532 --> 00:37:17,802 and the struggles that they have gone through. 879 00:37:17,802 --> 00:37:18,902 Because, you know, 880 00:37:18,902 --> 00:37:20,538 when I think about times, these 881 00:37:20,538 --> 00:37:21,972 I mean, times are hard for all of us 882 00:37:21,972 --> 00:37:23,708 in different ways. Right now, 883 00:37:23,708 --> 00:37:26,043 we're all struggling with something, right? 884 00:37:26,043 --> 00:37:28,378 Everyone's just struggling with different levels. 885 00:37:28,378 --> 00:37:31,382 And the more we can kind of see each other on that level, 886 00:37:32,516 --> 00:37:34,952 I think that's where our comfort level changes 887 00:37:34,952 --> 00:37:37,954 and that's where the progress really starts to be made. 888 00:37:43,260 --> 00:37:44,228 -Thank you, Margaret. 889 00:37:44,228 --> 00:37:46,329 And yeah, big shout out to share. 890 00:37:46,329 --> 00:37:49,333 Really know how to operate a tent city. 891 00:37:53,271 --> 00:37:55,639 Okay, let's come back to Erica. 892 00:37:55,639 --> 00:37:58,208 What do people most often misunderstand 893 00:37:58,208 --> 00:38:00,478 about being unhoused, particularly for folks 894 00:38:00,478 --> 00:38:03,481 facing substance use or other barriers? 895 00:38:06,784 --> 00:38:09,286 I think the most common misconception 896 00:38:09,286 --> 00:38:12,289 is that people choose to be homeless. 897 00:38:17,795 --> 00:38:22,065 homelessness is not a choice that somebody makes. 898 00:38:23,233 --> 00:38:26,237 It's, it's a 899 00:38:29,639 --> 00:38:32,610 that's I'm trying to choose the right word. 900 00:38:32,610 --> 00:38:35,612 I don't want to be read this later. 901 00:38:41,985 --> 00:38:43,688 it's cause and effect. 902 00:38:43,688 --> 00:38:46,690 Something like any one of us 903 00:38:46,690 --> 00:38:49,693 is subject to 904 00:38:49,827 --> 00:38:52,530 circumstance. 905 00:38:52,530 --> 00:38:55,532 I know many people that are 906 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,936 one poor choose choice away from being outside. 907 00:39:01,204 --> 00:39:04,208 One lay off 908 00:39:08,278 --> 00:39:11,282 not enough to pay their rent. 909 00:39:15,452 --> 00:39:18,456 So I think that the the misconception 910 00:39:18,621 --> 00:39:21,958 misconception that people choose to be homeless is, 911 00:39:23,827 --> 00:39:25,329 well, I can't say what I really want 912 00:39:25,329 --> 00:39:28,331 to say B.S. but, 913 00:39:29,099 --> 00:39:31,101 and then another one that came to mind 914 00:39:31,101 --> 00:39:32,335 when I read that question was 915 00:39:32,335 --> 00:39:35,639 I just recently heard this and I and it's and it's like 916 00:39:35,639 --> 00:39:38,641 embedded in my mind is that people talk about 917 00:39:40,577 --> 00:39:44,648 service resistant clients, and I don't believe 918 00:39:44,648 --> 00:39:46,583 that we have service resistant clients. 919 00:39:46,583 --> 00:39:49,586 We have client resistant services. 920 00:39:57,394 --> 00:39:58,195 That's not mine. 921 00:39:58,195 --> 00:40:01,065 But I took it. 922 00:40:01,065 --> 00:40:04,068 I think I think that 923 00:40:04,969 --> 00:40:08,239 most thoughts that we have without having 924 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:11,842 a conversation with somebody and asking them the question 925 00:40:12,476 --> 00:40:15,478 of why they're homeless 926 00:40:16,347 --> 00:40:18,047 is a misconception 927 00:40:18,047 --> 00:40:20,117 because everybody's story is different. 928 00:40:20,117 --> 00:40:21,985 But what I do know is that they didn't 929 00:40:21,985 --> 00:40:23,887 choose to be that way. 930 00:40:23,887 --> 00:40:24,822 It's yeah, 931 00:40:27,023 --> 00:40:30,027 Thank you. 932 00:40:30,193 --> 00:40:32,262 And I think we're going to give Dennis 933 00:40:32,262 --> 00:40:33,697 the last word real quick answer here, 934 00:40:33,697 --> 00:40:35,199 because I know we got to get to the question. 935 00:40:35,199 --> 00:40:38,302 So how does housing stability connect to the health 936 00:40:38,302 --> 00:40:41,304 of our business districts and local economy? 937 00:40:42,739 --> 00:40:44,775 I'm I'm going to say that, 938 00:40:44,775 --> 00:40:45,242 you know, 939 00:40:45,242 --> 00:40:48,244 businesses really care deeply about their environment, 940 00:40:48,846 --> 00:40:52,081 about people that work with the businesses, but also 941 00:40:52,282 --> 00:40:54,217 about their neighbors. 942 00:40:54,217 --> 00:40:57,021 We recognize that this is such an important time 943 00:40:57,021 --> 00:40:59,088 to really make this investment. 944 00:40:59,088 --> 00:41:01,891 And I think businesses also 945 00:41:01,891 --> 00:41:05,329 want to communicate that we recognize that this needs 946 00:41:05,329 --> 00:41:08,331 this is these ordinances are a great first step, 947 00:41:08,666 --> 00:41:11,969 but really consistent wraparound services 948 00:41:12,335 --> 00:41:15,505 are what's needed to provide stability and really 949 00:41:16,706 --> 00:41:19,742 address individuals on a case by case basis. 950 00:41:19,742 --> 00:41:23,581 And I think DSA and our members are committed to 951 00:41:23,581 --> 00:41:27,418 working with PTA, with REACH, the Unified Care Team. 952 00:41:27,418 --> 00:41:29,686 We're happy to have been working 953 00:41:29,686 --> 00:41:31,054 with your administration 954 00:41:31,054 --> 00:41:34,592 to try to find a way to not only support the 955 00:41:34,592 --> 00:41:38,461 creation of these shelters, but also create an environment 956 00:41:38,461 --> 00:41:41,599 where people can build trust and be ready to, 957 00:41:42,298 --> 00:41:44,702 move into them once they're made available. 958 00:41:44,702 --> 00:41:46,769 So we're ready to work with you. 959 00:41:46,769 --> 00:41:49,306 We recognize that that investment is significant. 960 00:41:49,306 --> 00:41:53,210 The $4.9 million has been referenced is just the start. 961 00:41:53,943 --> 00:41:57,648 We've been advocating to lift $11.1 million proviso 962 00:41:57,648 --> 00:42:00,617 that was put into the legislation last year. 963 00:42:00,617 --> 00:42:03,954 But I think we need continued growth and investment 964 00:42:04,521 --> 00:42:05,722 to be able to provide 965 00:42:05,722 --> 00:42:09,559 that wraparound services and deliver on your vision. 966 00:42:09,559 --> 00:42:10,226 So thank you. 967 00:42:11,394 --> 00:42:11,795 Awesome. 968 00:42:11,795 --> 00:42:12,362 Thank you. 969 00:42:12,362 --> 00:42:12,730 So Okay, 970 00:42:12,730 --> 00:42:15,099 so we're going to go to some questions, 971 00:42:15,099 --> 00:42:15,632 but let's 972 00:42:15,632 --> 00:42:17,768 let's give a round of applause for all our panelists. 973 00:42:17,768 --> 00:42:20,771 Thank you, Erika, Margaret, Dennis, 974 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:26,043 we're going to run through as many questions 975 00:42:26,043 --> 00:42:27,844 as we can in a short amount of time 976 00:42:27,844 --> 00:42:28,512 for those 977 00:42:28,512 --> 00:42:31,382 who still have questions or if you're watching 978 00:42:31,382 --> 00:42:32,782 you can send them to Seattle 979 00:42:32,782 --> 00:42:36,219 dot gov sigma, you can find the contact your mayor button. 980 00:42:36,619 --> 00:42:39,155 So I'll kick this first one over. 981 00:42:39,155 --> 00:42:42,826 How will you ensure that folks placed in emergency shelter 982 00:42:43,092 --> 00:42:46,096 will have opportunities for sustained housing beyond 983 00:42:46,096 --> 00:42:49,099 the World Cup? 984 00:42:49,233 --> 00:42:51,302 I have I have a feeling that a lot of these questions 985 00:42:51,302 --> 00:42:53,938 are going to be for me to Pamela, 986 00:42:53,938 --> 00:42:56,472 but feel free to ask questions of the panelists. 987 00:42:56,472 --> 00:42:56,907 Yeah. 988 00:42:56,907 --> 00:43:00,411 So, I mean, you know, we're we're focusing right now 989 00:43:00,411 --> 00:43:03,414 on expanding emergency housing and shelter 990 00:43:03,646 --> 00:43:05,349 to help people off the streets 991 00:43:05,349 --> 00:43:06,951 out of unsheltered homelessness. 992 00:43:06,951 --> 00:43:08,418 And we recognize 993 00:43:08,418 --> 00:43:09,920 how important it is 994 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:12,556 to be creating pathways to permanent housing 995 00:43:12,556 --> 00:43:15,192 so that people aren't stuck in our shelter system forever. 996 00:43:15,192 --> 00:43:17,161 So that's another thing that we are working on. 997 00:43:17,161 --> 00:43:18,963 And I just want to acknowledge that we're in 998 00:43:18,963 --> 00:43:22,032 a challenging time for that right now where, for example, 999 00:43:22,699 --> 00:43:25,202 you know, permanent supportive housing is under threat 1000 00:43:25,202 --> 00:43:26,637 by the federal government. 1001 00:43:26,637 --> 00:43:28,806 So we're having to make sure that we're able 1002 00:43:28,806 --> 00:43:32,041 to sustain our existing permanent supportive housing 1003 00:43:32,809 --> 00:43:35,846 and the the kind of pipeline 1004 00:43:35,846 --> 00:43:37,748 of new permanent supportive housing 1005 00:43:37,748 --> 00:43:40,451 is facing some real challenges right now. 1006 00:43:40,451 --> 00:43:41,885 So that's 1007 00:43:41,885 --> 00:43:43,653 just as they were in a challenging moment for this. 1008 00:43:43,653 --> 00:43:46,456 But we're going to be doing everything that we can 1009 00:43:46,456 --> 00:43:49,960 to expand the housing that is available to people 1010 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:51,260 coming out of our 1011 00:43:51,260 --> 00:43:53,931 shelter system to make sure that people aren't 1012 00:43:53,931 --> 00:43:56,132 stuck in shelter forever. 1013 00:43:56,132 --> 00:43:57,300 And we're going to be creative, right? 1014 00:43:57,300 --> 00:43:59,302 We're working with our affordable 1015 00:43:59,302 --> 00:44:01,538 housing providers on strategies 1016 00:44:01,538 --> 00:44:03,273 to make sure that we're making the maximum 1017 00:44:03,273 --> 00:44:06,010 use of our affordable housing stock. 1018 00:44:06,010 --> 00:44:08,144 And, well, yeah, we're going to 1019 00:44:08,144 --> 00:44:09,512 we're going to keep working on that, too. 1020 00:44:10,981 --> 00:44:13,983 What kind of oversight will be provided? 1021 00:44:14,050 --> 00:44:17,521 I hope the new shelters will have sufficient caseworkers. 1022 00:44:20,356 --> 00:44:23,360 Yes. So I think as you heard in the earlier presentation, 1023 00:44:23,893 --> 00:44:28,065 the focus on these initial 500 units of shelter 1024 00:44:28,065 --> 00:44:31,068 that we're trying to stand up are going to focus on 1025 00:44:32,335 --> 00:44:33,269 the kind of 1026 00:44:33,269 --> 00:44:34,003 high acuity 1027 00:44:34,003 --> 00:44:34,405 people are, 1028 00:44:34,405 --> 00:44:36,039 people who are have complex 1029 00:44:36,039 --> 00:44:37,740 needs coming out of homelessness. 1030 00:44:37,740 --> 00:44:41,210 And so these shelter sites are going to have 24 seven 1031 00:44:41,210 --> 00:44:45,516 staffing and case management and other services on site. 1032 00:44:45,516 --> 00:44:46,583 So we're we're being 1033 00:44:46,583 --> 00:44:47,818 intentional about making sure 1034 00:44:47,818 --> 00:44:49,186 that people have the support 1035 00:44:49,186 --> 00:44:51,922 that they're going to need on site. 1036 00:44:51,922 --> 00:44:55,025 Curious what the opportunities might be for including safe 1037 00:44:55,025 --> 00:44:59,563 parking for cars, not just RVs in expansion plan 1038 00:44:59,797 --> 00:45:04,168 since about half of homeless people are in regular cars? 1039 00:45:06,469 --> 00:45:07,503 That's a good question. 1040 00:45:07,503 --> 00:45:09,239 I don't know that I have a good answer to that. 1041 00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:10,641 I also just I know there's members 1042 00:45:10,641 --> 00:45:12,076 of my team here who've been working on this. 1043 00:45:12,076 --> 00:45:14,210 So if anyone wants to step up and provide an answer. 1044 00:45:14,210 --> 00:45:17,213 But yeah, I that's a good a good point. 1045 00:45:18,449 --> 00:45:21,818 Maybe that's one we're going to have on our facts page 1046 00:45:22,119 --> 00:45:25,121 soon to come on the Shelter expansion website. 1047 00:45:25,489 --> 00:45:27,557 What will be the funding mechanism? 1048 00:45:27,557 --> 00:45:30,561 What will security, public safety look like? 1049 00:45:32,463 --> 00:45:33,831 So we've identified, 1050 00:45:33,831 --> 00:45:38,969 I believe, about $17.5 million to stand up these initial 1051 00:45:38,969 --> 00:45:42,271 500 units of emergency housing and micro shelters. 1052 00:45:42,905 --> 00:45:44,875 So the smaller amount that you mentioned is 1053 00:45:44,875 --> 00:45:46,309 what's going through council. 1054 00:45:46,309 --> 00:45:48,010 But there's other funding in the city budget 1055 00:45:48,010 --> 00:45:49,413 that we've identified that we're able to 1056 00:45:49,413 --> 00:45:50,880 use without council action. 1057 00:45:52,115 --> 00:45:55,018 And we're going to be working as we work 1058 00:45:55,018 --> 00:45:58,322 toward the city budget process this fall to make sure 1059 00:45:58,322 --> 00:46:01,858 that we're allocating ongoing operating funds, to make sure 1060 00:46:02,592 --> 00:46:05,061 that we can continue operating those sites 1061 00:46:05,061 --> 00:46:07,264 with with the services that that they need. 1062 00:46:07,264 --> 00:46:08,498 So that's a little bit 1063 00:46:08,498 --> 00:46:10,266 about how we're thinking about the funding at the moment. 1064 00:46:10,266 --> 00:46:12,436 We're also as I kind of alluded to, 1065 00:46:12,436 --> 00:46:14,070 working with philanthropic partners. 1066 00:46:14,070 --> 00:46:17,173 So we're going to be probably making some announcements 1067 00:46:17,173 --> 00:46:18,074 soon about that. 1068 00:46:18,074 --> 00:46:21,677 But we're welcoming money from all directions too, 1069 00:46:21,778 --> 00:46:24,782 to help with this a team effort. 1070 00:46:25,615 --> 00:46:27,617 We have many empty apartments now. 1071 00:46:27,617 --> 00:46:32,456 Seattle Times says 10% of affordable housing is empty. 1072 00:46:32,722 --> 00:46:36,092 Why don't we use what we have first before building more? 1073 00:46:38,628 --> 00:46:41,632 And so there are a 1074 00:46:41,664 --> 00:46:43,567 complex reasons why there have been 1075 00:46:43,567 --> 00:46:45,469 higher than ideal vacancy rates in 1076 00:46:45,469 --> 00:46:47,971 some of our affordable housing buildings. 1077 00:46:47,971 --> 00:46:51,842 So part of this is a little bit of a mismatch between 1078 00:46:52,409 --> 00:46:54,510 the kind of units that we've focused on building 1079 00:46:54,510 --> 00:46:57,847 so that we have a lot of especially studios and. 1080 00:46:57,847 --> 00:47:00,951 Then just because of the way that the housing market 1081 00:47:00,951 --> 00:47:02,251 has developed, 1082 00:47:02,251 --> 00:47:03,219 we have a situation 1083 00:47:03,219 --> 00:47:06,389 where often the kind of a private market 1084 00:47:06,389 --> 00:47:08,625 studio is not that much more expensive 1085 00:47:08,625 --> 00:47:10,327 than a quote unquote affordable studio. 1086 00:47:10,327 --> 00:47:12,128 So that's part of the reason. 1087 00:47:12,128 --> 00:47:15,331 And then there's there's also been a lot of 1088 00:47:16,465 --> 00:47:18,302 factors coming out of the pandemic 1089 00:47:18,302 --> 00:47:21,737 that have affected affordable housing providers ability to 1090 00:47:22,539 --> 00:47:25,474 to keep their buildings full, including sometimes 1091 00:47:25,474 --> 00:47:27,710 mismatches between the tenants who are in a building 1092 00:47:27,710 --> 00:47:29,746 and the kind of support that they need 1093 00:47:29,746 --> 00:47:32,615 and their behavioral health needs and a building 1094 00:47:32,615 --> 00:47:34,050 that's not able to accommodate that, 1095 00:47:34,050 --> 00:47:36,853 that doesn't have the services that they need. 1096 00:47:36,853 --> 00:47:39,655 So anyway, that's just to say that 1097 00:47:39,655 --> 00:47:41,123 the problem is not that people 1098 00:47:41,123 --> 00:47:42,793 don't need that housing, obviously. 1099 00:47:42,793 --> 00:47:45,929 And so that that is something that we are working on 1100 00:47:45,929 --> 00:47:48,664 in partnership with affordable housing providers 1101 00:47:48,664 --> 00:47:49,800 to figure out how we can address 1102 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:50,666 some of those problems. 1103 00:47:50,666 --> 00:47:52,635 And some of that might mean, 1104 00:47:52,635 --> 00:47:54,371 you know, one idea that we've been talking about 1105 00:47:54,371 --> 00:47:56,239 is basically the city 1106 00:47:56,239 --> 00:47:58,809 buying down rent in some of those empty units 1107 00:47:58,809 --> 00:48:00,677 so that it's affordable to people 1108 00:48:00,677 --> 00:48:02,246 at a at a lower income level. 1109 00:48:02,246 --> 00:48:04,981 So I agree that we need to be 1110 00:48:04,981 --> 00:48:07,751 using our affordable housing as effectively as possible. 1111 00:48:07,751 --> 00:48:09,920 And also we need way more affordable housing. 1112 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:11,822 So, no, we should not stop trying 1113 00:48:11,822 --> 00:48:13,956 to build affordable housing in the meantime, 1114 00:48:20,731 --> 00:48:23,967 can the empty gravel lots at Swedish Cherry Hill 1115 00:48:23,967 --> 00:48:27,871 potentially be used as a site or other major 1116 00:48:27,871 --> 00:48:29,373 institution owned properties 1117 00:48:29,373 --> 00:48:32,376 that don't have plan development and expansion? 1118 00:48:33,777 --> 00:48:36,612 Yeah, I mean, we're we are open to ideas so sense 1119 00:48:36,612 --> 00:48:37,748 and those ideas our way 1120 00:48:37,748 --> 00:48:40,751 and we can chase them down and see what's possible. 1121 00:48:42,152 --> 00:48:44,688 How will you ensure that shelter bed sites 1122 00:48:44,688 --> 00:48:47,958 will continue to receive appropriate operating funding? 1123 00:48:48,425 --> 00:48:51,460 How do you plan to ensure this continues to be funded? 1124 00:48:52,663 --> 00:48:54,498 That's basically the answer I gave before. 1125 00:48:54,498 --> 00:48:57,501 This is a matter of how we design our city budget. 1126 00:48:57,601 --> 00:48:59,635 So that's obviously something that's 1127 00:48:59,635 --> 00:49:01,003 going to be very important 1128 00:49:01,003 --> 00:49:03,172 as we into this fall's budget budgeting process. 1129 00:49:03,172 --> 00:49:06,909 And we welcome advocacy, pushing from all of you 1130 00:49:06,909 --> 00:49:09,211 to make sure that we have the funds 1131 00:49:09,211 --> 00:49:11,414 necessary to keep operating these sites 1132 00:49:11,414 --> 00:49:13,083 in the manner that they need to be operated. 1133 00:49:14,418 --> 00:49:16,052 Everyone just had questions for the mayor. 1134 00:49:16,052 --> 00:49:18,188 Now, the panelists. 1135 00:49:18,188 --> 00:49:18,487 All right. 1136 00:49:18,487 --> 00:49:21,557 What is the role of the King County homelessness 1137 00:49:21,590 --> 00:49:24,628 Authority now? 1138 00:49:26,163 --> 00:49:28,731 Is so they King County 1139 00:49:28,731 --> 00:49:30,300 Regional Homelessness Authority. 1140 00:49:30,300 --> 00:49:32,969 Right. Is basically 1141 00:49:32,969 --> 00:49:36,440 a contracts that previously were operated 1142 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:37,773 or were run through the city 1143 00:49:37,773 --> 00:49:39,576 and the county are now run through the King 1144 00:49:39,576 --> 00:49:43,679 County Regional Homelessness Authority in this initial 1145 00:49:44,715 --> 00:49:47,717 500 unit, 1146 00:49:47,784 --> 00:49:49,853 500 units that were standing up the city. 1147 00:49:49,853 --> 00:49:51,655 We're actually doing this in-house at the city. 1148 00:49:51,655 --> 00:49:53,990 So we're not doing this through the King County 1149 00:49:53,990 --> 00:49:54,925 Homelessness Authority. 1150 00:49:54,925 --> 00:49:57,893 And a lot of that had to do with 1151 00:49:57,893 --> 00:49:59,161 the King County Regional Homelessness 1152 00:49:59,161 --> 00:50:00,697 Authority kind of already has its budget 1153 00:50:00,697 --> 00:50:02,231 and plan for this year. 1154 00:50:02,231 --> 00:50:03,065 And so 1155 00:50:03,065 --> 00:50:05,068 because we're doing this additionally 1156 00:50:05,068 --> 00:50:06,635 to what was already planned 1157 00:50:06,635 --> 00:50:09,373 and we have found money within the city budget 1158 00:50:09,373 --> 00:50:12,141 and we're doing all of this kind of in-house also 1159 00:50:12,141 --> 00:50:13,510 for reasons of speed and right. 1160 00:50:13,510 --> 00:50:16,179 The process that Nicole 1161 00:50:17,447 --> 00:50:19,548 went through in in the slide presentation. 1162 00:50:19,548 --> 00:50:19,782 Right. 1163 00:50:19,782 --> 00:50:23,219 We had to do a lot of work internally at the city 1164 00:50:23,219 --> 00:50:26,222 to compress all of this into a few months. 1165 00:50:26,690 --> 00:50:29,025 So we're not going through the authority. 1166 00:50:29,025 --> 00:50:30,659 I'm now a new board member, the King 1167 00:50:30,659 --> 00:50:32,094 County Regional Homelessness Authority. 1168 00:50:32,094 --> 00:50:33,295 So that's going to be 1169 00:50:33,295 --> 00:50:36,298 an ongoing conversation over the rest of this year of 1170 00:50:36,532 --> 00:50:39,536 the role that that authority will play in this effort 1171 00:50:39,536 --> 00:50:42,539 as we move forward beyond this initial 500 units. 1172 00:50:44,173 --> 00:50:45,342 I've got the same funding. 1173 00:50:45,342 --> 00:50:45,842 QUESTION 1174 00:50:45,842 --> 00:50:47,610 So to close us out, I'm 1175 00:50:47,610 --> 00:50:49,880 going to offer a different question to the panel. 1176 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:52,882 Anyone who may want to speak to this, 1177 00:50:52,882 --> 00:50:54,184 but what does it look like 1178 00:50:54,184 --> 00:50:57,186 in practice to be a good neighbor? 1179 00:51:03,025 --> 00:51:04,860 Okay, I'll take a look. 1180 00:51:04,860 --> 00:51:05,228 All right. 1181 00:51:07,130 --> 00:51:09,099 Yeah, that was one of the questions that I got 1182 00:51:09,099 --> 00:51:09,498 in advance. 1183 00:51:09,498 --> 00:51:12,501 And I was thinking about that. And, 1184 00:51:12,902 --> 00:51:14,371 you know, 1185 00:51:14,371 --> 00:51:16,472 in any of my experiences with neighbors 1186 00:51:16,472 --> 00:51:19,476 and neighborhoods, it's got to work both ways, right? 1187 00:51:19,675 --> 00:51:23,880 So I think part of being good neighbors is that 1188 00:51:25,148 --> 00:51:27,751 we should all try to be welcoming 1189 00:51:27,751 --> 00:51:31,021 to these new shelters, these tiny house villages. 1190 00:51:31,487 --> 00:51:34,324 And then we should also help them be successful 1191 00:51:34,324 --> 00:51:37,327 by communicating back when there is a problem. 1192 00:51:37,494 --> 00:51:38,461 And, you know, 1193 00:51:38,461 --> 00:51:39,762 one of the things that I'm 1194 00:51:39,762 --> 00:51:42,766 glad of with the village in my area is, 1195 00:51:43,599 --> 00:51:47,237 you know, we are going to have we have contact information 1196 00:51:47,670 --> 00:51:50,507 so that if there is a problem, 1197 00:51:50,507 --> 00:51:51,875 if someone's sensing a problem 1198 00:51:51,875 --> 00:51:53,543 in the community or they have a concern, 1199 00:51:53,543 --> 00:51:55,878 there's someone to go to to talk to. 1200 00:51:55,878 --> 00:51:58,481 And what I'm to be encouraging all my neighbors 1201 00:51:58,481 --> 00:52:02,119 to do is to use that, you know, communicate back 1202 00:52:02,485 --> 00:52:04,320 and see if the problem can be solved. 1203 00:52:05,521 --> 00:52:06,422 You know, 1204 00:52:06,422 --> 00:52:08,358 let's resist the urge to just go 1205 00:52:08,358 --> 00:52:09,659 rant on social media, 1206 00:52:09,659 --> 00:52:11,594 because I can pretty much guarantee you 1207 00:52:11,594 --> 00:52:13,996 that will not solve any problems. Right. 1208 00:52:13,996 --> 00:52:16,932 But there are systems that are going to be set up 1209 00:52:16,932 --> 00:52:18,668 to communicate both ways. 1210 00:52:18,668 --> 00:52:22,172 And what I also hope that we can do, 1211 00:52:22,172 --> 00:52:23,940 and we've already been doing 1212 00:52:23,940 --> 00:52:25,509 in my neighborhood with the folks 1213 00:52:25,509 --> 00:52:27,710 that live at Tent City for is, 1214 00:52:27,710 --> 00:52:29,079 you know, their community members. 1215 00:52:29,079 --> 00:52:32,081 When I see them at public meetings or, 1216 00:52:32,282 --> 00:52:35,251 you know, at the farmer's market, 1217 00:52:35,851 --> 00:52:37,653 say, hi, welcome them. 1218 00:52:37,653 --> 00:52:40,590 You know, they're folks that live in our neighborhood. 1219 00:52:40,590 --> 00:52:43,360 And that may or may feel funny at first, but it's not 1220 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:46,563 once you get used to talking to these folks and realizing 1221 00:52:46,563 --> 00:52:48,965 they care about the neighborhood, too. So 1222 00:52:52,969 --> 00:52:56,039 thank you again to our panelists, Erica. 1223 00:52:56,039 --> 00:52:58,340 Margaret Dennis, 1224 00:52:58,340 --> 00:53:00,309 again, if you have more questions, 1225 00:53:00,309 --> 00:53:01,545 please send them to Seattle. 1226 00:53:01,545 --> 00:53:04,079 Dot gov slash mayor a contact the mayor 1227 00:53:04,079 --> 00:53:05,248 and we'll be putting together 1228 00:53:05,248 --> 00:53:08,617 a facts page on the shelter extension website. 1229 00:53:08,985 --> 00:53:13,289 And to close this out, Mayor Wilson will share next steps. 1230 00:53:13,322 --> 00:53:15,358 Thank you all. 1231 00:53:15,358 --> 00:53:17,427 Okay. I'm 1232 00:53:17,427 --> 00:53:19,461 not sure how many next steps I'm actually going to share, 1233 00:53:19,461 --> 00:53:22,465 but I'm going to say thank you to everyone for being here. 1234 00:53:22,831 --> 00:53:24,300 So my team launched this effort 1235 00:53:24,300 --> 00:53:25,268 out of a deep belief 1236 00:53:25,268 --> 00:53:27,503 that we really can bring people together 1237 00:53:27,503 --> 00:53:30,206 from across the city to join in and make progress 1238 00:53:30,206 --> 00:53:32,342 in welcoming new shelters across the city 1239 00:53:32,342 --> 00:53:34,376 so that we can bring more people inside 1240 00:53:34,376 --> 00:53:37,179 and today we're proving that to be true. 1241 00:53:37,179 --> 00:53:38,481 It's a really heartwarming thing 1242 00:53:38,481 --> 00:53:39,349 to see service 1243 00:53:39,349 --> 00:53:42,452 providers, neighbors, formerly homeless people, businesses, 1244 00:53:42,619 --> 00:53:45,789 the whole city coming together to address this crisis. 1245 00:53:46,155 --> 00:53:49,092 I'm really looking forward to sharing more specific 1246 00:53:49,092 --> 00:53:50,226 location details 1247 00:53:50,226 --> 00:53:53,230 just as soon as those lease agreements are signed. 1248 00:53:53,697 --> 00:53:54,630 And, of course, 1249 00:53:54,630 --> 00:53:56,065 providers will be announcing 1250 00:53:56,065 --> 00:53:58,201 neighborhood community meetings 1251 00:53:58,201 --> 00:54:00,170 after that to discuss the details 1252 00:54:00,170 --> 00:54:03,172 of each of these locations before permits are filed. 1253 00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:06,443 We will make sure that that information is out there. 1254 00:54:06,842 --> 00:54:09,045 And I want to thank our partners on the city council 1255 00:54:09,045 --> 00:54:11,914 for being a part of this effort in every way. 1256 00:54:12,916 --> 00:54:13,949 And my ask to all of 1257 00:54:13,949 --> 00:54:17,820 you is to stay engaged, stay involved 1258 00:54:17,820 --> 00:54:20,023 and make your voices heard, because we need you 1259 00:54:20,023 --> 00:54:21,757 at every step in this process. 1260 00:54:21,757 --> 00:54:24,427 We need you at those community meetings. 1261 00:54:24,427 --> 00:54:26,630 We need you at city council, 1262 00:54:26,630 --> 00:54:29,431 and we need you there to welcome new neighbors 1263 00:54:29,431 --> 00:54:32,135 into your neighborhood. So thank you so much. 1264 00:54:32,135 --> 00:54:33,836 I feel really confident 1265 00:54:33,836 --> 00:54:34,336 that together 1266 00:54:34,336 --> 00:54:36,606 we can take on this enormous challenge 1267 00:54:36,606 --> 00:54:37,907 and we can accomplish big things. 1268 00:54:37,907 --> 00:54:40,710 And ultimately, it's going to be because of all of you. 1269 00:54:40,710 --> 00:54:41,411 So thank you.