Letter To The Editor: Disabled Residents Shouldn't Be Left Homeless On Our Streets

Councilmember Osman Salahuddin

From the desk of Redmond Councilmember Osman Salahuddin...

Bob, I believe that you and I fundamentally agree that we don’t want our seniors, veterans, and residents with disabilities to be homeless and living on the streets. They deserve to be able to live in their community and have the help that they need to get by. 

Because of this agreement, our Council has spent a great deal of time addressing this decision. Because I take my responsibility to you as your Councilmember very seriously, I have personally been looking directly into the data about our city in guiding my decision. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you to further our discussion about this important issue.

 

What I’ve learned about our City of Redmond (see data links below for verification):

• 3,916 of our neighbors are earning less than $15,000 annually (at or below Federal poverty line);
• 6,401 of our neighbors are living with a disability, some of which impacts their earning ability;
• 7,502 of our neighbors are seniors ages 65+, some of whom cannot afford the rising cost of living;
• 1,913 of our neighbors are veterans, many of whom are part of those earning less than $15,000;
• These are Our community members, who need Our help to stay housed and safe.

 

The intention of the 100 units of permanent supportive housing that Plymouth is offering our community is to house (in the downtown) our seniors, our veterans, and our residents living with disabilities. To add to this, we have an incredible shortage of housing at all levels, so to meet the needs of our own residents – specifically – for safe and healthy places to live, we need to provide housing opportunities for people at or below the adjusted median income of $30,000 annually. The location will be ideal for folks who are experiencing disabilities with its proximity to the Light Rail station. 

Finally, the City has published a webpage with more details about the project, including frequently asked questions. I encourage you to visit the page and review the information here: https://www.redmond.gov/2116/Plymouth-Housing-in-Redmond. I wanted to highlight a few of the key points from the website that are common questions that folks have been asking:

 

• Who will live there? 

Single adults exiting homelessness and living on extremely low incomes would be eligible for the proposed Plymouth PSH. Many of these individuals are living with disabilities, seniors, and/or veterans. The income criteria is set at 30% or below Area Median Income (AMI), which means an individual is earning less than $28,800/year. Lifetime registered sex offenders and individuals with certain past drug-related convictions will not be eligible for this housing.

 

• Will the residents go through a background check? Will there be sex offenders?  

Anyone who moves into Plymouth’s housing undergoes criminal background checks including credit checks, rental history checks, and lifetime sex offender registration checks. They must be a U.S. citizen and have a social security number on file. Plymouth follows the same guidelines for subsidized housing eligibility as the King County Housing Authority (KCHA). Lifetime registered sex offenders and individuals with certain past drug-related convictions will not be eligible for this housing.

 

• Is this a homeless shelter?  

No, this is Permanent Supportive Housing for single adults. There is an application process, which includes determination of eligibility for the project. After individuals are approved and move in, they will no longer be considered homeless. Residents are responsible for abiding by their lease agreement and building rules, while also having access to onsite support services.

 

• I’m worried about safety. What will the city or Plymouth do if this creates problems in the community?  

Everyone wants the City of Redmond to remain safe. Plymouth is proposing a good-neighbor policy for the property and residents. Plymouth has a no-weapons policy, not even in cars. Quiet hours and respecting the property are within the lease. Plymouth keeps up a robust guest policy so they can track who's coming and going. And when needed, they do establish guest bans. Further, Redmond code requires permanent supportive housing providers to develop a Safety and Security Plan, which is approved by Redmond Police Department. Plymouth is committed to working with neighbors, the City of Redmond, and community partners to address safety concerns that may arise.

 

• What is the plan for community engagement? 

Redmond code requires a robust Community Engagement process for Permanent Supportive Housing projects. Plymouth is willing and able to comply with code requirements and will initiate the Community Advisory Group (CAG) process with city support. The CAG will create the Community Relations Plan that details a structure and frequency for ongoing community engagement and commits Plymouth, the City of Redmond, and the local community to a collective agreement that describes how the parties will communicate and resolve concerns when they arise.

 As your Councilmember, I believe strongly that creating permanent supportive housing for our community members is taking care of our entire Redmond community, which is all we would want for our own family. My family raised me in Redmond, and I am laying down my own roots in this City that I love, just as my parents did for me. We have an amazing community that is diverse and full of wonderful people, and we need to make sure that our neighbors who are struggling most are able to stay in our community with us.

 

The vote last week was critical, and time sensitive, so we did not lose over $30 million in funding for essential needs for our community. Now, active listening in community engagement and critical deliberations are needed to ensure that we have the best plan in place before the final project implementation to ultimately support our community members who are struggling most. I believe in the City of Redmond to take care of its own.

 

As Chair of the Redmond Public Safety and Human Services Committee of the Whole I have been working in collaboration with our Police and Fire Chief, and they have made clear that this is a critical resource our city needs to meet the needs of those most vulnerable. My goal for the safety and betterment of our entire community is to ensure that the needs of our most vulnerable are met. I have asked our staff to work with the Plymouth Permanent Supportive Housing team to provide thorough monthly updates to our committee on this topic. I am committed to ensuring that our community members have all of the information available, particularly with regard to public safety solutions and background check needs while we work toward the best solution for all, including our seniors, veterans, working poor, and neighbors living with disabilities. I look forward to continuing to work together and encourage you to stay engaged and in touch as we create the best Redmond together for all.

 

In researching this issue, I have gathered information and data from various sources that I would like to share with you:

1. Low-income adults exiting homelessness who have a disability, many of whom are seniors and veterans
2. Data from our Census and American Community Survey (ACS) to better understand Redmond
3. Approximately 3,916 Redmond residents live below the poverty line (5.1% of residents)
4. Approximately 6,401 Redmond residents who have a disability (8.4% of residents)
5. Approximately 7,502 Redmond residents are seniors ages 65+ (9.8% of residents)
6. Approximately 1,913 Redmond residents are veterans (3.2% of residents)

 

Thank you for being an active and engaged community member, and I encourage you to lean into the conversation during the implementation process to ensure that project meets all our community’s needs.

 

Best,

Osman

 

Osman Salahuddin (He/Him) Councilmember, City of Redmond
425-380-1324   425-556-5845   osalahuddin@redmond.gov   www.redmond.gov Posted by Bob Yoder, 3/8/2024