The intention is to address the causes rather than continue to treat the symptoms.
Two major initiatives in Snohomish County are attempting to go beneath the surface and find solutions to the root sources of homelessness, addiction, crime and the cycle of poverty in our communities.
Project 99, a collaboration among county law enforcement, county code officials, social workers and other county and state officials, is attempting to connect some of those arrested for nonviolent offenses with treatment, housing and other programs, rather than leaving jail as the only option.
“We can’t simply arrest our way out of this problem,” said sheriff’s Lt. Rob Palmer, in Herald Writer Erik Stevick’s Sunday story about Project 99.
At the same time, the Everett Community Streets Initiative and its task force of 29 business, social service and community leaders last week wrapped up a process launched by Mayor Ray Stephanson in July and has prepared a report with more than 60 strategies that will be presented Wednesday to the Everett City Council, as reported by Herald Writer Chris Winters in Saturday’s Herald. Implementation of those suggestion will now follow in the coming months.
Some of the suggestions are as simple as the county jail changing its release time from midnight to a time when social services are open and available, implementation of work crews rather than jail time and fines for some offenses and consolidating locations of church feeding programs.
Others will taken an investment of resources, such as construction of a detox facility in the south county, expansion of drop-in centers and the implementation of affordable housing programs through a housing levy, similar to what has been done in Bellingham and Seattle.
Stephanson, in thanking the task force for its work on Thursday, took on some political risk in suggesting voters be asked to support such an effort.
Bellingham’s housing levy, passed two years ago, is expected to raise $21 million in seven years for programs such as rental assistance and construction of affordable housing. For the owner of a $250,000 home, the levy adds about $90 a year to the property tax bill.
A similar investment here could go a long way to addressing a web of social problems.
None of this can be done effectively only within the borders of Everett. The county and its cities should consider Everett’s effort a template they can follow, if not join in partnership. Failing to address these problems widely would likely just displace the problems rather than resolve them.
Each idea needs to be given careful consideration with an eye toward how best to implement it. Stephanson promised the task force its report would not gather dust on a shelf. To bring change to our streets, each idea needs our backing and our effort.
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