Comments on City Seeks to Raid Council's Tenant Relocation Fund

I work for a housing non-profit and when I hear about money being held up I have two reactions:

1) indescrible anger, because I get calls from women sleeping in their cars who just had mastectomies and families that will be on the streets in mere hours. Or how about the family that was sleeping in their van in December. Or the single dad who could loose custody of his daughter because he can't pay the rent after breaking his leg crossing the street. Can't they just get the funds to the folks who need it a little quicker.

2) recognition of how hard it is to have an appropriate process - we want what was originally tax money going to folks who really need it.

When all is said and done, it's really not a matter of properly distributing the money we do have. Solving housing issues, especially for those who have limited means, is directly linked to having more funding.

My agency turns away 3 families for every family we do serve.

This seems lawsuit worthy. The City (Nickels administration) appears to be breaking the law.

Good point, @2.

Wonder if any real estate lawyers are online here?

I sure am glad we spent $850,000 to stick cameras in Cal Anderson park. Money well spent, I'd say. Fuck all these homeless people and displaced renters.

/sarcasm

But they have $200,000,000 for Paul Allen's proposed Mercer Street boulevard treatment that will actually make traffic worse (well, actually, they don't, but they want to spend $20 or so million to start the ball rolling on this unfunded project anyway and commit Seattle taxpayers to the full cost).

Ah, priorities....