My name is Cat Sullivan and I am a long time advocate and activist for low income people. I am a lifelong Seattle resident although at this time I live outside of Seattle because being low income myself, housing costs in Seattle are not affordable.
Our Lake City community Homeless Taskforce participated in our last One Night Count a couple weeks ago, which silently counts those who are sleeping on the streets. This count found exactly 3,772 souls ~ but this is not the whole picture of how many Puget Sound residents are truly homeless. The modest estimate is more like 10,000 homeless as they could not count those who are staying with friends and relatives, those who are hunkered down in places we could not find, or in other places such as those who live in motor homes and tent cities. Worse and more alarming is that the Superintendent of Public Instruction found 32,494 students without a home! One should be asking how these kids can concentrate on their school work when they do not even know where they will sleep that night?
More over the squiggley thingy ...
The Taskforce also celebrated that 3 homeless people had found permanent housing in McDermott Place, which is situated close to the heart of Lake City. One soul who found housing had been on the streets for 20 years, another more than 8 years before they found permanent shelter. I am so glad this has occurred, but what about the other 50 souls we know about in that area? Each story is so heartbreaking and it compels me to ask how it is that anyone can stand by and allow this happening right under their noses within their own communities?
As I watch new housing pop up like mushrooms around the county I always wonder, "who can afford these places?" Upstream from where the little creek where I live in Kenmore they say that Snohomish County is planning to cut over 700 trees for housing on this creek alone, which will seriously affect those who live downstream of this little creek. During the seasonal thaws over the 9 years I have lived here,I have watched the rushing water eat away my landlord's property at an alarming rate as it shoots out from a culvert and overruns its banks on its way to Lake Washington. It slows down to a trickle in the summer but right now, since I live less than 10 feet away from it, I cannot help but wonder when it will take over the building where these 4 other families live? Where will we go when it finally finds its way under our homes and sends us crashing into that creek?
Seattle luckily has had a mild winter so far this year. and while the climate change is slowly affecting the Puget Sound area, it is not a very dry winter. Living out on the streets makes it quite difficult to dry out in the day time after shivering in the rain under a doorway the night before. Churches who have come forward to offer their buildings for shelter have not seen the demand they saw last year ~ Our Lady Of The Lake church reported last night they averaged about 20 souls seeking shelter for the night while last year it was at least another 10 souls for their church alone. The Community dinners local churches have been trying valiantly to give the homeless one evening a week to find a hot meal, some new friends, to network with one another and just enjoy one dinner in warmth and where it is dry ~ but it is just a drop in the bucket for what needs to be done.
The TaskForce has a message to give to Puget Sound residents about the legislation coming up, some of it is timely. If it is not passed through the hoops they have to jump through before February 20th this month, those bills will die. It would take but a few minutes of your time to send a quick email to your state legislators supporting them. Here is a list of bills that are being proposed and are still alive ~ but will DIE on February 20, 2015, if they have not gone through the appropriate channels. http://wliha.org/... Please forward them to any supporters you may know!
The above link has a brief summary of the bills being proposed and need every Puget Sound resident's support. I hope in the coming months to tell you stories about some of the individuals I have met who would actually benefit. I am hoping that with these stories it will inspire you to come forward with your time, talents and financial support to eradicate poverty in this state.
I want you all to know how great it is to have found you as the one thing I observed while participating in the homeless issues around our state: I have not met one Republican, or Libertarian who gives of their time, heart and hours of work like i have seen, from legislators down to the lowly activist like me by a huge majority, all them are Democrats! Suddenly and recently, the Republicans are talking about poverty but because they are not on the ground actually doing the work like so many Democrats are, their proposals are useless and come from ignorance. These Republicans have no inkling of what poverty is or why there is poverty like so many Democrats do. Because Democrats do the work, they talk and listen to the ones who are struggling, and they go to the tables of those in power to speak for those who have no voice. As the old First Nations adage says, "do not judge anyone until you have walked a mile in their moccasins..."
Love, Cat in Seattle (well really in Kenmore lol)