Sep 27, 2024 · On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law two controversial ordinances, known as Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) and Stay out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP), intended to address concerns around public drug use and sex work.

Jan 29, 2025 · W ith the official opening of the 2025 legislative session on Jan. 13, Washington state lawmakers are bracing for a 120-day window to pass all the state laws for the year. Amidst the backdrop of a potentially hostile incoming Trump administration, many in the state Democratic Party — which holds comfortable majorities in both the state House and Senate — anticipate renewed attacks on ...

Every year 50,000 copies of this guide are distributed through a network of over 200 partners including a peer network of vendors, service providers, mutual aid groups, metro bus drivers, emergency first responders, and more. As more agencies move their information online, this printed guide is ...

Apr 3, 2024 · Between 2010 and 2024, Seattle’s house prices increased more than two-fold, in part due to a boom in the tech industry. According to Zillow’s Home Value Index, the average price for a typical single-family detached house in January 2010 was roughly $444,000, compared to $926,000 in 2024.

Oct 17, 2024 · Read Nick Brown's answers to Real Change's lightning round questions here. The retirement of Jay Inslee from the post of governor after three terms in office has set off a game of political musical chairs in Olympia.

Aug 30, 2024 · A return to criminalization . Moore’s ordinance is one of several efforts by the new Seattle City Council to address public safety concerns. The law was announced on the same day conservative Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison proposed similar legislation to enact two banishment zones in downtown Seattle for people accused of public drug use and possession.

Oct 17, 2024 · As voters across Washington state receive their ballots this week, they will be tasked with deciding on four new initiatives: I-2066, I-2109, I-2117 and I-2124. The initiatives were submitted by the right-wing political action committee Let’s Go Washington (LGW), which spent more than $12.6 million collecting signatures for the measures. In total, the four initiatives received more than 1.8 ...

Dec 4, 2024 · 2024 was way worse than we had expected. Sweeps have somehow become greater in number and more aggressive, even though Seattle Mayor Harrell admits to zero sweeps this year. We have also seen a rise in attacks on people living outside, with three unhoused men killed in March and the recent stabbing spree in the CID that resulted in 11 people severely injured.

Oct 23, 2024 · Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has released his proposal for the 2025-2026 biennium budget.Dealt the difficult task of formulating a budget with an expected deficit of roughly $250 million a year, Harrell has chosen to siphon off funding from future investments in affordable housing and other progressive policies in order to shield city services from deep cuts.

Jan 22, 2025 · Last week, I read a great op-ed in the Portland Mercury about the role of policy change in poverty alleviation. The piece, called “Homelessness is Economics” by long-time political consultant, activist and candidate for office Jonathan Tasini, outlined the ways policies focus on the symptom of homelessness, not the reasons why people become homeless. ...