Local Issues
Homelessness A problem in every major American city and in every city of the Puget Sound region. The cause can be racial inequity, economic disparities, mental health issues, rising housing costs, addiction etc. Drug overdose the leading cause of death among homeless people. The rising housing and living costs makes it impossible to ca tch up once they lose everything. Over the past 6 years, rents have increased by 57%. Affordable housing development cannot serve people's needs while affordable units continue to decrease. A recent analysis has found that 47% of households that rent in the Seattle metro area are "housing cost burdened," meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent alone. People of color experience homelessness is the result of racial disparity. Of the 21,500 applications to the 2017 SHA Housing Choice Voucher program, more than 35% came from people of color. https://www.seattle.gov/homelessness/the-roots-of-the-crisis The video ...
