Seattle's Zero Homeless Family Pledge: Policy Analysis

Executive Summary

The number of homeless families in the City of Seattle has become a major issue that demands urgent attention. Currently, single males account for 63% of the homeless population on the streets, while 17% are women and the remaining 20% are families and youth. In Seattle alone, there are more than 700 homeless single women and homeless families with children.

In June 1998, Mayor Paul Schell made a pledge that there would be no homeless families with children or homeless single women on the streets of Seattle by Christmas of 1998 (Norton, 2006). The pledge can be accomplished within the six-month period he indicated, though several potential challenges must be overcome. Chief among these is receiving immediate funding for shelter and assistance. Additionally, homeless families who have been on the streets for a long time may feel uncomfortable moving into a shelter where they will encounter new people and may have to share a room or space with others.

Working with Alan Painter, the team developed several recommendations to resolve the problem. A timeline was created to facilitate meetings with City Government, State Government, Federal Government, Homeless Advisory Groups, Operation Nightwatch, and the United Way. The process also involved reviewing areas in Seattle with temporary housing and vacant lease space. After examining these areas and contacting King County regarding prices, one potential avenue considered was moving homeless families from Seattle to King County where housing may be cheaper. However, this option was rejected because it would generate additional problems related to temporary housing and increase the likelihood of families returning to the streets. Therefore, the preferred approach is to find suitable places within Seattle.

In this regard, providing housing for homeless families in Seattle would involve creating extra space or additional floors within existing shelters. This is an ideal alternative because it is significantly cheaper than constructing a new shelter. While some individuals would need to sleep on floors within the shelters, they would still be off the streets. A second option examined was allowing some families to stay in private homes in order to bring the count of homeless families on the streets to zero. There are many large homes in Seattle occupied by only two or three people that could comfortably hold ten or more. A white paper and presentation were developed for Alan Painter, along with documents for the Department of Social Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, to explore whether a nurse could be placed in each home hosting a homeless family with children or a single woman.

To achieve these initiatives, a 50% budget increase from the Federal Government and the City Government is being proposed. This increase would allow the program to provide additional space and cover the costs of necessities for the additional 812 people for whom shelter is being sought. If additional individuals require shelter, the funding amount would increase accordingly.

A property tax increase is also being proposed. While it would generate additional revenue for the City of Seattle, it could simultaneously cause more people to become homeless due to the higher financial burden it places on residents. Several cost-benefit analyses have been prepared demonstrating that if the additional funding is provided now, there will be significant savings in the future — the benefits will outweigh the costs over time.

Working primarily with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the program will secure the type of funding needed to move homeless families with children and homeless single women off the streets. By requesting an exception apportionment from HUD, the program can provide additional housing and shelter. This process is scheduled for October. Through the partnership with HUD, the city will also build stronger relationships and share best practices with other cities in King County. Additional grant money will be requested from HUD to purchase an additional four shelters in Seattle.

Through the VA partnership, the program will identify whether any of the homeless families with children or single women are veterans. If they are, the VA will assist in getting them off the streets and provide the necessary benefits to support their health and stability. The VA will also assist with finding shelter for veteran families and single women.

Operation Nightwatch is being engaged to obtain an updated count of homeless families with children and single women on the streets. The technique used by Operation Nightwatch helps ensure that everyone in the homeless population is captured. This partnership is essential to fulfilling Mayor Schell's pledge without overlooking a single qualifying individual. Operation Nightwatch has confirmed that its mechanism is capturing accurate data and not missing any homeless individuals.

In discussions with King County, the team presented its plan to meet Mayor Schell's pledge, including current budget needs and the anticipated reduction of those needs in the future. The recommendations are designed to achieve the pledge through increased partnerships between federal agencies, researchers, and the private sector in developing, managing, and promoting the City of Seattle.

Introduction and Background

The City of Seattle is on the verge of providing shelter for all homeless families with children and homeless single women. At present, single males represent 63% of the homeless street population, single females represent 17%, and families and youth represent 20%.

Specifically in Seattle, there are over 700 homeless single women and homeless families with children. A timeline was prepared for Alan Painter to facilitate meetings with all key stakeholders to address the homeless issue in Seattle. Since the pledge was made in June 1998, meetings were scheduled with Program Managers and Alan Painter during the second week of June to discuss problems, objectives, risks, and challenges involved in achieving the pledge.

The figure of 700 is not a confirmed number. Based on a report by Operation Nightwatch — which documented a 16% increase from 1993 to 1997 — the projected count is 812 homeless single women and homeless families with children. Applying the same demographic breakdown, approximately 35% are single women and 35% are families with children. For counting purposes, Operation Nightwatch defines a family with children as a child under the age of 18 with an adult. This could include one parent with one child, one parent with multiple children, two parents with one child, or two parents with multiple children. Achieving the pledge will be challenging both because of the scale of the existing population and because additional individuals may become homeless during the implementation period who are not currently counted.

The Program Managers worked alongside the Program Analysts to prepare evaluation questions, an evaluation design, data collection and analysis plans, a proposed presentation and utilization plan, and a proposed budget with a narrative description.

During the third week of June, a meeting was held with Mayor Schell and Alan Painter to discuss the pledge, goals, and objectives. The discussion included challenges encountered in attempting to secure immediate funding for shelter and assistance. Mayor Schell was informed that the goal would be achieved within the six-month timeframe stated in his pledge. The Mayor was made aware of planned meetings with King County, State Government, Federal Government, United Way, and Operation Nightwatch. He was also informed of possible resistance from homeless families with children and single women who, having been on the streets for a long time, may feel uncomfortable transitioning to a shelter environment. Mayor Schell's primary concern was that every effort be made to fulfill his pledge.

During the fourth week of June, a meeting was held with the Community Service Division Support Staff to ensure alignment regarding Mayor Schell's pledge. The Support Staff offered ideas about providing additional benefits once additional shelter was secured. They highlighted their strong relationships with the Department of Veterans Affairs and identified key points of contact willing to provide additional funding for homeless families with children and single women who are veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs expressed interest in participating in the pledge because helping the city of Seattle eliminate 37% of its homeless population would reflect positively on the agency. The VA also expressed interest in identifying homeless single males who are veterans, even though that group falls outside the scope of Mayor Schell's pledge. Following that meeting, the Program Analysts followed up with Program Managers on any new developments.

Evaluation Questions

The pledge is a bold one and may be achievable within the six-month period; however, a number of questions have been raised that would need to be addressed if it is accomplished. The following evaluation questions were developed:

1. Is it truly possible to achieve zero homeless families with children if single males are excluded from the pledge?

2. Even though the Mayor made the pledge, how would fulfilling it affect the broader city of Seattle?

3. While providing shelter for families with children or single women, will the presence of these shelters affect property values and property taxes in surrounding neighborhoods?

4. If the federal government provides additional funding now and in the near term but faces an across-the-board budget reduction in the future and can no longer sustain that level of support, what alternative methods would be used to fund the shelters and transitional housing?

5. Are there any existing controversial issues surrounding the city's budget performance that could be further complicated by reallocating additional funding to the homeless initiative?

6. Are there additional federal or state government agencies that should be involved in the program?

Conclusion

In summation, the pledge made by Mayor Schell will be difficult to achieve. Although additional funding will be provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Social Services, and the City of Seattle, there remains a concern about accurately counting all families with children. Operation Nightwatch has encountered difficulties in the children's count: children may be in one location at one moment and then move to another, creating a persistent risk of undercounting. Even if the 812 targeted individuals can be moved off the streets, additional individuals who are currently uncounted may also be homeless.

The proposed property tax increase, while generating revenue for low-income housing, could simultaneously cause some residents to lose their homes due to the inflationary pressure it creates. The 63% of homeless individuals who are single males and who fall outside the scope of Mayor Schell's pledge will also remain a visible and pressing concern.

Looking ahead, establishing policies that mandate other jurisdictions to contribute funding to Seattle is a primary objective for addressing the broader homeless crisis. Creating a capital planning project to work with leasing officers at apartment complexes to provide discounted shelter for homeless individuals is another avenue being pursued. Requesting emergency funds from the city and reallocating lapsed funds from prior fiscal years are additional tools available to provide housing for families with children and single women. While the path to fulfilling the pledge is challenging, the combination of federal partnerships, community engagement, and creative resource allocation provides a viable framework for progress.

References

Norton, Eileen (2006). "Mayor Schell's Zero Homeless Family Pledge." www.hallway.org

http://www.seattle.gov/pan/1998_AnnualReport/default.htm