HomeMy WebLinkAboutEisinger 12.01.201
Jason Seth
From:Alison Eisinger <alison@homelessinfo.org>
Sent:Tuesday, December 1, 2020 5:00 PM
To:Armondo Pavone; Angelina Benedetti; Randy Corman; Ryan McIrvin; Valerie O'Halloran;
Ruth Pérez; Ed Prince; Kim-Khánh Vn
Cc:Julia Medzegian; Jason Seth; Rachael Myers; Michele Thomas; Saleena Salango
Subject:RE: Proposed Ordinance restricting human services and shelter in Renton
Dear Mayor Pavone and Councilmembers Benedetti, Corman, McIrvin, O’Halloran, Perez, Prince, and Van –
On behalf of both the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and the Washington Low Income Housing
Alliance, I write to urge you to drop the proposed ordinance that would change Renton’s zoning code in order to
force 225 people who are currently safely, stably, and properly sheltered into the street, and make it extremely
difficult, cumbersome, inefficient, and nearly impossible to provide human services to people experiencing
homelessness in the city. It would discriminate against people who experience homelessness – among whom Black,
Indigenous, and other people of color; people living with disabilities; people who have served in the military; and
people who are LGBTQI are greatly disproportionately represented. This is wrong. This piece of legislation will not
serve the residents of Renton well in the near term or in the future.
The primary instruction to each and all of us during the pandemic has been to “stay home,” “wash your hands,” and
keep a distance” from others not in our households. When people do not have a place to stay home or a way to
wash their hands, when they are forced to crowd with others whether on a tent or in a congregate shelter, the risks
to their health and the health of the whole community greatly increase. Other regions saw terrible infection rates
and significant lost lives among those experiencing homelessness. Shelters saw up to 50% of their occupants
infected, and local governments acted too slowly to protect them, or failed to act at all. But across King County this
has not been our experience. We have seen incredible resourcefulness, resilience, strength, and willingness to follow
public health guidance among homeless service and housing providers, their guests and residents, and among
people who remain unsheltered, and who want to remain virus-free.
Researchers from the University of Washington have documented the experience of guests at The Red Lion and
multiple hotels in communities around King County as shelters that were clearly hazardous to individual and public
health were “de-intensified.” Some were re-located to community spaces (the Seattle center, community centers,
other locations) and some were relocated to hotels. These de-intensification efforts clearly prevented and still
prevent the spread of COVID19. The Red Lion and other similar hotel shelters saved lives, and are currently
preserving health and lives.
Land use codes have a long history of being used as a mechanism to exclude people, divide people, and keep people
from resources they need to survive and thrive. This is not the proper way to use zoning codes, nor is it a good way
to make public policy. Our organizations are dedicated to problem solving, and to developing positive policy
solutions to homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. We would be pleased to work with you and others in
Renton to ensure community health and safety, and secure the services, shelter, and housing that are essential if we
agree that homelessness is a crisis that deserves regional and shared solitions.
Our member organizations safely shelter thousands of our King County neighbors nightly. Many have successfully
worked with municipalities and hotel owners in Bellevue, Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila to keep hundreds of people
safe during the pandemic. Please consider that this crisis, which none of us anticipated, offers both individuals and
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communities the opportunity to realize their true core identities. The crisis of homelessness is not new, in Renton
or anywhere in King County. But it is a crisis made dramatically worse and more dangerous during a pandemic. The
story of The Renton Red Lion could be one of smart success in a pandemic. We want that to be the story we tell
next!
Sincerely,
Alison Eisinger
Executive Director
Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
www.homelessinfo.org
We mobilize our community to challenge systemic causes of homelessness and advocate for housing
justice. We envision a region that acts on a shared sense of responsibility to ensure that everyone has a
home.
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