Struggling with addiction: Setting Expectations for Responsibility
In the heart of the Pacific Northwest, the homelessness crisis in Seattle and Washington continues to escalate, despite a 15-year-long homelessness emergency and billions of dollars spent. King County, which includes Seattle, recorded a 23% increase in overall homelessness since 2022, totaling a record 16,385 homeless people in 2024.
The scale of the problem is staggering. About 60% of these individuals live unsheltered outdoors. Seattle itself had over 24,000 homeless people in 2024, many chronically homeless, and reportedly twice as many unsheltered on the streets as New York City despite a smaller population.
The soaring cost of housing in the region further exacerbates the issue. Washington’s median home price reached $589,000 in 2024, a 129% increase over 10 years, while Seattle’s median priced homes hit $727,000. The median household income, however, remains much lower.
Recent policy shifts have also impacted the homeless response. The Trump administration’s executive order in 2025 moved away from the "Housing First" model towards treatment-first programs that condition housing assistance on sobriety and recovery. This shift has had an effect on state and city homeless programs that had broadly utilized Housing First approaches.
Ross Elkin, a resident of Seattle, wrote a letter to the editorial board, suggesting a move forward with homes instead of handcuffs. However, specifics about this proposal are not available. There is a call for an accounting of spending on homelessness in Seattle, but the exact cost of housing units for homeless individuals (hotels and apartment buildings) remains unknown. Preliminary estimates suggest each unit could cost approximately $250,000 or more.
The number of people employed by public and private entities serving the homeless population in Seattle is also unknown. A comprehensive accounting of spending and staffing figures would require further investigation, such as through government budget or agency reports like the Seattle Human Services Department or Washington State Department of Commerce.
In the meantime, the homeless crisis continues to dominate headlines. Other stories discuss the implications of 80 atomic years as a warning for Washington state and the world, and the closure of newspapers in Oregon and the rejection of a bid by Alden Global Capital for a Dallas paper. The debate about polarization costing $2 billion a day also remains a popular topic.
This article is published on a specific website, offering insights into the ongoing homelessness crisis in Seattle and Washington, while emphasizing the need for more detailed data and policy discussions to address this pressing issue.
- The editorial board received a letter from Ross Elkin, a Seattle resident, suggesting a shift from handcuffs to homes to respond to the homelessness crisis.
- The 2025 executive order by the Trump administration changed the homeless response strategy from Housing First to treatment-first programs, which condition housing assistance on sobriety and recovery.
- King County recorded a 23% increase in overall homelessness since 2022, with approximately 60% of these individuals living unsheltered outdoors in Seattle alone.
- In 2024, the median home price in Seattle reached $727,000, while the median household income remains much lower, making it challenging for many to afford housing and potentially contributing to the homelessness crisis.
