Housing for Seattle’s Homeless Population…

How One Family Fought CPS

It doesn’t take statistical analysis for Seattleites to see that homelessness is a problem locally. The Seattle area saw a 19 percent increase from 2015 to 2016 in people living without shelter, from 3,772 to more than 4,500. This is an 84 percent increase from 2011. The Seattle Times recently profiled innovative approaches to reducing homelessness being utilized in Houston and San Francisco. Houston’s approach has shifted focus to getting people into housing rather than opening more shelters, including the construction of a computer system to assess and track the homeless population and prioritize them based on vulnerability. This resulted in a 75 percent decrease from 2011 to 2015 in people living without shelter. They did this by starting with more modest goals (100 chronically homeless veterans in 100 days), building credibility, then coordinating to streamline what was previously a “tangle” of funding resources both public and private. San Francisco has successfully utilized a special homeless shelter with less stringent rules. This includes allowing people to come and go freely as well as keep pets and possessions while they get connected to various resources. Seattle is now interested in opening such a shelter, targeting people who avoid traditional shelters that “have strict guidelines and give guests the boot early each morning.” While it’s important not to ignore or downplay the great efforts many organizations continue to make to address homelessness in the Seattle area, the growing population of those living without shelters suggests that these alternative approaches are certainly worth a look.

STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to our newsletters

 
Subscribe to one or more of our newsletters, delivering meaningful insight on topics that matter to you and your family.
ebl home subscribe image

FURTHER READING

Latest Blog Posts

Everyone who has anyone in their life needs an estate plan, even people who own little or no property.

A common question about legal fees is why they are so high. The following article details what is built into legal fees and explains their cost.

Gifting an estate plan is an act of love because an estate plan goes far beyond material possessions, addressing the emotional, practical, and long-term well-being of your loved ones.

Prenuptial agreements (also known as prenups) can play a pivotal role in safeguarding individual spousal rights in the event of divorce and can also strengthen a marriage.

Valentine’s Day can be tricky for single parents, maybe even you. Unpartnered, at least for the time being, you might not foresee your plans fitting into conventional images of the holiday. But that doesn’t have to be. Valentine’s Day, when you’re single, can be more than a day you need to survive. It can be a day to look forward to.

Collaborative law has evolved into a globally practiced
discipline, extending well beyond the realm of family law, and is used frequently in Seattle divorces.

Classifying January as divorce month could be misleading, given how some of the numbers tell a different story. However, one thing remains clear: January is a great time for a fresh start.

A family law attorney can help with child custody (residential time) by creating or modifying a parenting plan.

Given the importance of the trustee’s role in an estate plan, it is necessary to understand the responsibilities before choosing a trustee or accepting the obligation to become one.

If you and your partner reside in Washington state and are unmarried, you each might qualify for the legal protections availed to you by law by classifying your relationship as a committed intimate relationship.