Tone-deaf Seattle mayor to debut 1000 new tiny homes for homeless as residents revolt over open air drugs and crime

Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has started a program of opening up 'tiny homes' in an attempt to stem the tide of homelessness ravaging the liberal city as it tries to find fixes ahead of the World Cup.

The 'tiny home' plan came as Wilson receives criticism from supporters after she failed to show up for a protest against sex trafficking and gun violence in the city. 

Wilson previewed 50 of the 1,000 planned single-adult units that the city hopes will serve as transitional housing for those facing homelessness, with 25 more coming by the end of the month.

The leftist mayor will not require those who will be living there to go through addiction or recovery treatment, KOMO reported. 

'The process of recovery is really complicated and difficult and so, we're not demanding that people be abstinent when they enter this village,' Wilson said.

Wilson admitted that she had failed in her goal of getting 500 built and ready to go in time for Seattle's turn to host matches at the World Cup. 

'Is it a failure not to have created 500 units by now? As long as there are thousands of people sleeping unsheltered on our streets, yes, we are failing,' Wilson said.

However, she believes 300 more will be added in various neighborhoods in Seattle by the end of summer, though still shy of her 1,000 goal in her first year in office. 

Dan Strauss, a city councilmember who supports the initiative, said it will help those who fall through the cracks of the city's homeless outreach.

'We have been successful in getting the people without complex needs off the streets and into the system that can ultimately provide them shelter and housing. What we don't have enough of are shelters just like this.'

The city is still developing a public safety plan for the sites where the shelters will go, Wilson added. 

Wilson was elected in part by criticizing incumbent Bruce Harrell for doing too little to provide more shelter and said his encampment sweeps have been cosmetic, merely pushing unhoused people around the city.  

However, this past weekend, Wilson was criticized for missing a protest that drew hundreds of residents to beg the city to stop gun violence and sex trafficking.

The protesters are demanding the police department create a smaller precinct in an area where gun violence is taken place and closed streets where shootings happen. 

While multiple elected officials were in attendance, Wilson was nowhere to be found. 

'I think it's unfortunate that she's not able to be here, but I think the message needs to be to her office that we're ready to see a concrete action plan,' said a woman in attendance. 

Wilson's office did not address her absence in a statement to KOMO News but promised they were working on it.

'Every neighborhood should be a place where people feel safe, supported, and able to go about their daily lives without fear. We are actively working with Aurora-area residents, Seattle Police, and the Seattle Department of Transportation to address community concerns,' a spokesperson for Wilson said.

Business leaders and nonprofit organizations are intensifying efforts to move people experiencing homelessness off the streets of Pioneer Square in Washington State ahead of the June 11 World Cup kickoff, according to The Seattle Times.

The neighborhood, famous for its late-1800s Romanesque Revival buildings and historic status, has evolved into a major hub for Seattle’s homeless community over the years, with four shelters located there.

Pioneer Square is expected to see heavy World Cup crowds, with watch parties and fan events adding pressure to an already busy area near Lumen Field, along with increased security and nearby match-related events. 

Several nonprofits have teamed up with a business lobbying group to relocate every unhoused person living within a half-mile of the area, from Alaskan Way South to Fourth Avenue South. 

City leaders have described the move as both a public safety and logistical effort tied to managing one of the largest events Seattle has ever hosted. 

The game plan is simple: outreach workers and shelter providers focus on one area and try to help every homeless person get inside by building trust and relationships. 

'We do know how to do this,' Lisa Daugaard, co-executive director of the nonprofit Purpose Dignity Action, told The Seattle Times.

Last month, members of Purpose Dignity Action began going out to the historic neighborhood at dawn to speak with unsheltered residents, ultimately compiling a list of 40 people. 

According to the group, the majority of individuals had significant mental health or substance use issues, and a lack of shelters capable of meeting those levels of need in Seattle has further complicated the crisis. 

'All the folks we’re working with have experienced the shelter system in one way or another,' Daugaard told the outlet. 'And there’s been barriers or it hasn’t worked out for them.'

This time, The Salvation Army and the Downtown Emergency Service Center are pooling shelter space, giving outreach teams more options to match people with the right placement. 

Out of 40 people identified in Pioneer Square, 19 have already been placed in shelters by Tuesday, while two others were reunited with family in other cities, according to the outlet.

'If we could do this, we could probably work through any list,' Daugaard added.

Wilson, 43, has faced criticism over her liberal policies and antagonism toward the city's wealthiest citizens and corporations during her first year in office.