What do you do when you walk by a homeless person? Do you avoid eye contact? Do you continue walking and ignore their plea? Do you even take a second to acknowledge their existence? It's habit, and it's a problem that is only worsening as the homeless population continues to ascend in Seattle.
As of 2015, over 10,000 people were counted living on the streets and in homeless shelters. Seattle is ranked fourth in the nation for it's vast and continuously increasing homeless population in metro areas.
When one thinks of Seattle, they imagine picturesque buildings surrounded by large bodies of water and ranges upon ranges of mountains. They imagine perfect families living in heated homes while the rain pours outside. They imagine the Space Needle, the Seahawks, traffic jammed streets, Pike's Place, The Great Wheel, and thousands of other expensive, yet worthwhile extremities. They imagine all these quixotic things, places, and people, however, their visions are quickly diminished when they realize that approximately 4,000 people are sleeping on the street each night.
Below the I-5 freeway, a 160 acre encampment runs along a greenbelt west of Beacon Hill. Prior to a shooting in January of 2016 inside the encampment, approximately 400 homeless people live in tents, sleeping bags, and makeshift houses. It's called The Jungle, and it does little to depict the Pacific Northwest. Not only is The Jungle home to hundreds of tons of trash, but it is also known for its extensive crime rate. Envision living in a place with a constant fear of being shot, raped, and murdered. How can one raise a family in such cruel and dire living situations?
The most diversifying aspect of Seattle homelessness is that of mental illness. On a simple, short walk down to The Ave in University District, one will pass multitudes of homeless men and women camped on the sidewalk and sleep in the alleyways. Passersby become acclimated to ignoring transients who randomly yell out political rubbish or whisper to their own invisible acquaintances. While waiting at one bus stop, a women referred to me as "Mama" and tried to convince me that she was hiding from a serial killer who had raped all of her friends. Another time, I was sitting at my computer in a food court when a lady started cussing at me under her breath for being "another teenage twat overusing technology." She then continued to cuss to herself for another twenty minutes.
Seattle is constantly working to decrease the homeless population. New shelters are continuously opening and taking more people off the street. In 2004, the City of Seattle created a ten-year plan to end homelessness. In 2009, Seattle planned to spend $40 million to end homelessness. Well, it is 10 years later and the homeless population is only rising.
Adequate healthcare is too expensive, so forget treating diabetes and mental health issues. Going to rehab seems pointless, so forget to treat alcohol and substance abuse. Taking out a mortgage is too costly in today’s economy, so forget finding a real home. Buying groceries is too pricey, so forget eating for a week. Getting an education seems too far-fetched, so forget trying to find a paying job. Finding a job seems too impossible without an education, so forget the idea of leaving the homeless population.
Some people say that homelessness is a choice, but what happens to that runaway teenager that is only trying to find enough cash for a small meal? There are so many young adults that deserve shelter and food. Those with mental issues should be taken off the streets in order to keep the community safe. Not all people choose homelessness. Children should not have to grow up with a backyard of garbage bags and raggedy old tents. The system is broken, and society caves the day that it will finally be fixed.
