The issue of increasing numbers of individuals without housing in Seattle was brought to the forefront again in the Oct. 3, 2025, Seattle Times article “Seattle residents report encampments in record numbers.”
Though this dilemma is painfully frustrating for all of us, it does not have to be this way. Seattle and King County’s sincere desire to help those suffering on the streets has resulted in our community establishing numerous services that, if professionally coordinated, can provide compassionate care with a 50% or more tax savings, as shown by data from similar jurisdictions. We don’t need to tax and spend more. We need to coordinate what we have already invested in professionally.
In Seattle, two model nonprofit programs exist that address individual suffering at the street level, providing a pathway to permanent housing, self-sustaining occupations and becoming productive community members. The exciting, yet frustrating, part of this letter is that we already have all the pieces in place within this community. If we start coordinating our existing resources immediately with medical and behavioral health professionals, we will begin to see the positive results we are seeking.
Talk to those of us working in these programs.
Peter Moote, Seattle