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Lake City Community Conversation on Homelessness

Lake City Community Conversation on Homelessness

Held May 24, 2017

This was an hour-long panel discussion. The panelists were various people who are involved in serving the homeless in Seattle, and two of them in Lake City, a couple from Seattle Police, and one formerly homeless person who is a long-time resident of Lake City.

The average number of homeless over 9 years who were counted in the annual night count in Lake City is 60. That includes sheltered and unsheltered. In the latest count, there were 87, with about 87 of them in shelters. Lake City has hardly any homeless families and children. Not only has homelessness increased, the homeless are more visible in Lake City, mostly because of development. They are less able to tuck themselves away in greenspaces.

The increase in rents correlates with increase in homelessness. Over 80% of homeless around here are from Seattle or King County.

The Seattle Director of Homelessness advised us to ask local politicians in the upcoming campaign season these three questions:

1 – What do they think should be done about the crisis of affordable housing? Seattle is 30,000 units short of the subsidized housing that is needed.

2 – Seattle’s budget for homelessness is $50 million a year. What is your plan for this budget?

3 – What should we do about the people on the street right now, pending longer-term solutions?

Panelists responded to the moderator’s question, ‘What is missing in Lake City that would help the homeless problem?’

– Provide permanent year-round shelters instead of the rotating ones that are open only five months of the year

– Fund recuperative care, to help homeless people discharged from the hospital get the after-care they need, such as from surgery, or for a broken leg.

– Provide more meals

– Not all people want to be in shelters. Provide 24 hour drop-in centers for showers, etc. God’s L’il Acre is only open for a few hours a day.

– Expand the police’s LEAD program (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) It’s  a pre-booking diversion pilot program developed with the community to address low-level drug and prostitution crimes.  It allows law enforcement officers to redirect low-level offenders engaged in drug or prostitution activity to community-based services, instead of jail and prosecution.

Asked to tell us how the Lake City community can support homeless people, panelists said

– Get community groups to band together and work with City agencies such as Department of Neighborhoods

– Advocate for the homeless, such as asking the mayor and city council members to do more and fund more.

– Volunteer to be a helper, what is called a ‘companioning person’. Many homeless want to get services and homes, but don’t have the wherewithal to go through the bureaucracy. Having a one-on-one mentor to help fill out paperwork, make and go to appointments with social services, increases likelihood of good outcome. The formerly homeless panelist said it took him seven years to get an apartment, and it was largely because someone who cared helped him do it.

– Go to some of the local churches and other venues that serve meals to homeless. Help in the kitchen, or just talk to the customers. Lamb of God serves meals on Sunday nights.

– Get involved in the Lake City Task Force on Homelessness. It meets at the Mennonite church on the 2nd Friday of each month, from 3:30 – 5:30 pm.

– Mobilize your church, book club, hiking club, or whatever, to do something to help

– Vote for candidates who care about this issue.

– Donate money

Lake City Farmers Market 2017 Opening

The Lake City Farmers Market is opening for the 2017 season on June 8th.

THURSDAYS

Location: NE 125th st and 28th Ave NE, next to the Lake City Public Library

Market dates: June 8-October 5

Market Hours: 3 pm-7 pm

The Lake City Farmers Market was opened in 2002 and has been bringing delicious, local food to the community every year since. It’s a popular local destination with over 30 farmers and food artisans who offer a great selection of delicious seasonal fruits, berries, organic produce, eggs, local baked goods, pasture raised meats, ciders, honey, preserves, ready-to-eat foods and more throughout the season. There are activities for kids, free cooking classes, and other events schedules EVERY week. It’s next to a lovely park with picnic area, seating and shady trees.

The market’s website is here.

Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge – New Design

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has a new, completely-reworked design for the Northgate Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge (“The Northgate Bridge”).

They had the original design 30 percent complete in 2015. Concerns over the potential cost overruns were raised, and independent cost validations were performed. As the result, the original design was deemed too costly. A new project team was selected to start from the scratch in 2016. As of today, the new design of the Northgate Bridge is 30 percent complete.

SDOT presented this design to a group of civic stakeholders in a meeting on April 5.  The stakeholders included leaders from the Northgate and neighbouring communities, such as Greenwood, Lake City, Licton-Spring and Pinehurst. Notwithstanding the differing views and preferences on the details, the stakeholders liked the design. Here’s the SDOT presentation.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lj0YATgOZ-Rmd3V1Y0WEMzanM/view?usp=sharing

If you have any questions and/or feedback on the Northgate Bridge, please feel free to send it to info@pinehurstseattle.org, and we will be happy to relay it to the appropriate personnel at SDOT.

 

Pinehurst Picks

Well, ’tis the season…

April 2017 Pinehurst Crime Map

Here is a partial picture of Pinehurst property crime for the month. Click on the map to enlarge it.

You can see ALL the types of crime at http://web6.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx. Select the North neighborhood and enter a date range.

North Precinct Advisory Council Minutes for May 2017

This month’s guest speaker was Scott Lindsay, Public Safety Advisor to Mayor Murray, who talked about Seattle’s Navigation Team. The Nav Team was started this year as one response to the homelessness crisis. The team is comprised of SPD officers and social workers. They go to unauthorized encampments to offer services and encourage folks to move to shelter. The team also coordinates trash cleanups. In two months, 3,500,000 pounds of trash have been hauled away.

For more information from the meeting, including a summary of the April crime dashboard for north precinct, read the minutes here.

http://www.pinehurstseattle.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017-05NPACMinutes.pdf

Road Rules – Turning Left into Which Lane?

Is it legal to turn into the outside curb lane when you turn left onto a four lane road?

A) Yes, it’s legal if you can clearly see that the outside lane is open and no one else is merging into it;

B) Yes, it’s legal as long as you’re turning onto a one-way street.

C) No, it’s illegal to turn left directly into the outside lane.

The answer is C. Turning directly into the outside lane is illegal in Washington – but it’s a mistake drivers often make.

Turn from the lane that is closest to the direction you want to go and turn into the lane closest to the one you came from. Once you’ve completed your turn, you can change to another lane if you need to.

The only time it’s legal to turn left into the outside lane is when you’re on a road with two left turn lanes and you’re in the outside, right-most, turn lane.

Adapted from Pemco Perspective Newsletter

Lake City Customer Service Center

There’s a city customer service center in Lake City, upstairs from the library, at 12525 28th Ave NE. It’s open 9-5 Monday through Friday, except holidays.

You can make payments in person:

  • Electric bills (Seattle City Light)
  • Water, sewer and garbage bills (Seattle Public Utilities)
  • Pet licenses
  • Parking tickets and moving violations (credit cards NOT accepted)
    • Types accepted
      • Parking citations (handheld or hand written) – If payment is received within 15 days of issue date
      • Parking citations with delinquent notice – If payment is received on or before the notice due date
      • Infraction citations – If payment is received within 15 days of issue date
      • Infraction/Parking citation payments where amount owing can be verified by the court with a phone call.
      • Court Time Pay Agreement – If payment received on or before due date.
      • Pre Trial Diversion payments

You can get information about:

  • City and other job opportunities, including Summer Youth Employment
  • Community and Neighborhood Organization Contacts
  • Crime Prevention and Block Watch Materials
  • Food Banks
  • Gold Cards (Senior Discounts)
  • Heating Bill Assistance
  • Land Use and Zoning Information
  • Metro Bus Schedules
  • P-Patch Community Garden Program
  • Weatherization Services

You can access the internet for free (visits limited to one 30-minute session per day)

And you can get applications for passports (with some limitations).

See the website for more information.

Northgate Transit Open House May 6, 2017

Kids’ Art in the Pinehurst Pocket Park

Eight year old Zoe drew this jazzy picture at last year’s Pinehurstfest. Look at those singers sing, and those dancers dance! Thanks for brightening the park, Zoe! Her drawing will be there throughout May. The park is on the corner of NE 117th & 19th Ave NE.

If you would like to submit your child’s artwork for the Pocket Park, please email nancy@pinehurstseattle.org.