CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION expressing The City of Seattle's commitment to addressing the shelter needs of people living unsheltered or at risk of homelessness by providing bridge housing options until housing stability or permanent housing can be secured.
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WHEREAS, Seattle is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, and the number of residents experiencing homelessness in both sheltered and unsheltered living arrangements has grown dramatically; and
WHEREAS, the 2017 Point-In-Time count identified nearly 4,000 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the number of households exiting from homelessness to permanent housing annually in King County has increased 50 percent since 2013 with more than 7,500 exits in 2017; and
WHEREAS, approximately 18,000 households in King County became homeless in 2017, representing a 27 percent increase over 2013; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle (City) recognizes that there are limited resources to address the housing needs of everyone who is experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and therefore seeks to invest in new bridge housing strategies that address the immediate needs of people living unsheltered or at risk of homelessness until housing stability or affordable permanent housing can be secured; and
WHEREAS, The City must develop a range of strategies to address the homelessness crisis; and
WHEREAS, in September 2016, The City established a policy framework and action plan that articulates a strategy for addressing homelessness with renewed urgency and envisioned a coordinated, effective, and person-centered crisis response that invests in what works and addresses racial disparities in order to make homelessness a rare, brief, and one-time occurrence in residents' lives; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Pathways Home, the City embraces the evidence-based Housing First philosophy, which recognizes the basic necessity of stable ho...
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