Seattle's streets are seeing fewer tents and RVs, a trend signaling potential progress in the city's battle against homelessness. According to the latest figures released by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, there's a promising downtick in the number of homeless encampments. In an effort to openly track the city's progress, these statistics are part of the One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan's public dashboard.
In a sweeping move to try and clean up the city, the first quarter of 2024 witnessed a 34% drop in the verified tent count, plunging from 523 at the end of 2023 to 345. Similarly, the count of RVs parked at active encampment sites has fallen to 179 from 227. These numbers were released in a statement by the Mayor's office on May 17th.
Integral to the plan is the Unified Care Team (UCT), which completed around 3,800 site cleanings and eradicated roughly 1.2 million pounds of debris from public areas. Besides this cleanup, the UCT's attention to public safety has been evident as Seattle Fire Department data reveals a 20% decline in the number of fires at encampments during the first quarter.
Outreach programs have also played a key role in these initiatives, with 531 people accepting referrals to shelters during Q1 alone. It's evident that there is not just a concerted effort to quickly address the visible signs of homelessness but to provide lasting solutions for those affected. Public safety still remains a paramount concern as evidenced by the consistent rate of emergency medical response calls - averaging 35 daily - and a slight downtick in the number of shootings linked to homelessness, a drop mirrored in the 272 encampment fires reported, down from 3.6 per day in the previous quarter.
Maintaining clean and accessible public spaces is a group effort, comprising more than a dozen City departments and partners fighting to reclaim Seattle's streets. With the One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan, initially announced in May 2022, the City continues to leverage urgency and compassion in its strategy to combat homelessness.
