Julia Dallas is a content editor for MyNorthwest. She's a Washington native and grew up in Adna. After earning her journalism degree from the University of Washington, she started working as a promotions assistant for Bonneville. She then earned her master's degree from Syracuse University.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has unveiled three bills to aid her goal of adding 1,000 new shelter beds this year. The bills would give more leeway to use land for transitional housing, make funding available, and expand the number of people allowed in transitional encampments.
would make it easier for the city to lease land for transitional encampments by giving the Director of Finance and Administrative Services broader signing authority and allowing the city to pay market rate. Under the current code, the cost per square foot is capped, and the FAS director is not allowed to sign a lease agreement if the land exceeds 18,000 square feet. The ordinance would increase the square-foot limit to 65,000 square feet and allow a market-rate rental for land, according to the bill summary. The mayor’s office noted that the average microshelter village exceeds the square-footage limit. Because the city can’t offer market-rate rent, few landowners are willing to make a deal. Therefore, securing a site and negotiating a lease can take months. “If the FAS director had discretion to sign a lease agreement at the front end of the process, and then turn the site over to a non-profit provider to build and operate the shelter program, it could reduce the timeframe to just three to four months to stand up a microshelter village,” the mayor’s office stated.would amend the 2026 budget to free up money for both building and running transitional encampments. It taps two underused funding sources: the Downtown Health and Human Services account and the Low-Income Housing Fund. The mayor’s office explained that the Low-Income Housing Fund, which is funded by Community Development Block Grant dollars through the Office of Housing, was originally set aside for a loan program, but federal regulations prevented it from being fully used. This bill would put it to work building more shelter. The rest comes from the DHHS account, which must be spent to benefit downtown Seattle and would fund new programs to house people living unsheltered downtown.The third ordinance tackles a size problem. Right now, transitional encampments are capped at 100 people per site. This would bump that to 150 people citywide and allow one site per council district to go up to 250. “The current land use code limits the size of each transitional encampment to 100 people per site. This creates a significant barrier to using limited city-owned lands efficiently, in particular if there is already a smaller microshelter on the site that has the potential to be expanded,” the mayor’s office stated. Officials said the city needs to make the most of its limited land by fitting more people on each site. The legislation would raise the current 100-person limit, allowing the city to expand microshelter villages that are already up and running. “This package of legislation will provide us with the tools we need to make good on my commitment to open 1,000 units of shelter and emergency housing this year,” Wilson said at aon March 4. “We are moving faster than ever before, but I want to see the ground start breaking, the hammers start swinging, and fewer people left to sleep in doorways and tents.”'It's just the Wild West': Councilmember Dunn says he pushed for audit years before King County fraud revealed 'Responsibility to act': Seattle, King County remove César Chávez name from park after abuse allegations The Downtown Seattle Association called Wilson’s plan a “bold first step” in addressing the city’s homelessness crisis, adding that services are vital to getting people off the streets. “Adding supportive services is a critical component of this plan, increasing the likelihood that these residents will be on a clearer path to long-term stability,” DSA President and CEO Jon Scholes said in a statement. “There are far too many people sleeping unsheltered in our city; this plan will ensure more people get inside and connected to the help they desperately need.” Wilson’s goal has been to open 500 new shelter beds by June 1, when the FIFA games start. But a staff memo stated that even with these new rules to fast-track transitional housing, the earliest a microshelter village could operate is July 14.WA millionaires’ tax faces new lawsuit threat as Governor Ferguson signs bill Washington’s proposed millionaires' tax is heading toward a legal showdown after Governor Bob Ferguson signed the controversial income tax measure.Gas prices in Washington have climbed nearly $1 in the past month and are threatening to break all-time records for unleaded gasoline.Trump issues new threat to Iran’s civilian infrastructure if a ceasefire isn’t reached ‘shortly’ Trump threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.” ‘A lot of votes may not count’: Supreme Court appears ready to upend WA mail-in ballot rules for federal races by November 2026 The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could require all ballots containing federal races to be physically received by Election Day.Trump signs executive action to pay TSA employees after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding President Trump acts to ensure TSA employee pay after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding, addressing urgent financial concerns.WSECU Community Champion: Chrystal Ortega’s mission to feed Spokane Chrystal Ortega's tireless dedication recently earned her the WSECU Community Champions Award and a $1,000 grant to further the mission.When Shawn Tibbitts opened Tibbitts FernHill, he was just trying to survive. The small Tacoma restaurant has since earned culinary awards and praise.Wilcox Family Farms is continuing its cherished holiday tradition of giving back by donating nearly one million eggs to food banks across the South Sound region this season.Matthew Ballantyne has transformed that early awareness into action, embodying the organization's mission:"No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town."
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