Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold said Tuesday the city needs to “do a much better job at telling our story” on homelessness.
She made the statement after a public review of the City’s Navigation Team. That group, represented by six different city departments, is tasked with cleaning up unauthorized encampments and relocating people to emergency shelters.
A recent report from the Department of Finance and Administrative Services says the city spent more than $10 million on the Navigation Team in 2017 and hauled away tons of garbage. Herbold says they’ve already done the same thing at more than 100 locations around Seattle in 2018.
The committee meeting Tuesday, in a largely empty council chambers, included multiple city department staffers and gave Herbold and Councilmember Mike O’Brien a chance to ask questions of team members.
Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a Navigation Team critic who wants to “stop the sweeps,” was absent.
Herbold said the group is a work in progress, but hailed the ability to have an open, calm discussion in such a forum.
“I think a lot of the polarization we've seen in the community is based on the belief that the city is not doing anything, and I think that's harmful,” said Herbold after the hearing, who also said the work is an efficient use of taxpayer money. “I believe it is. I believe people want these issues are addressed, I believe that people want to make sure that people are being linked to services and permanent housing options and interim housing options like shelter, and I believe people want their communities and neighborhoods cleaned up.”
