OPINION: Redmond is in a turmoil. From the blue "Demand a Say" signs scattered all over our city and numerous City Hall meetings over-flowing with protesters, we all know Council (and indirectly the Mayor) made the fateful "Plymouth decision" to welcome 100 homeless to our downtown.
Some background: The King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) is promoting a regional approach to the homeless problem and now taking Seattle's severe homeless to the suburbs. Their disorganized 3-Board strategy didn't work in Kenmore and it's not working in Redmond.
Bellevue accepted the first Plymouth Housing building on the Eastside. It opened on July 23, 2023 and is located in a distant 10-acre low income "ecosystem."
At Bellevue's Plymouth, "three staff members will live on-site and a health care clinic will allow these homeless to meet with primary care and psychiatry providers, and have an option for 24/7 telehealth urgent care." Fantastic! I hope this comes to fruition with many residents exiting.
According to Seattle Times, to qualify for a Plymouth studio in Bellevue, potential residents "must have been homeless for at least a year and have at least one disability." Thus, the conditions of these homeless are severe, by far "not run of the mill."
By 2027, Redmond will have a similar building located in our downtown across from Anderson Park. Hopefully, our downtown homeless will have sufficient Plymouth human services to keep their residents stable and our community safe.
Mayor Birney should speak directly to the public to explain why she's accepting severe homeless in our downtown. By reaching out, she will quell miss-information, calm the public, and stimulate productive, community conversations. Until the Mayor speaks up and leads, the disorder and chaos could continue.
-- Bob Yoder, 4/8/2024, Updated Opinion 5/7/24
I think that to qualify for housing, you should have to “have and hold a job during your stay or be retired” and “have no problems of addiction or have a criminal record”. These safeguards will help ensure that Redmond remains a safe, clean and healthy community for all.
ReplyDeleteThe backlash to this, and the comment above, seem like nimbyist fearmongering to me. I know you are afraid of poor people, but unhoused people with disabilities have absolutely no way of hurting you (except maybe in your dreams :-))
ReplyDeleteSmall correction Bob. A fair part of Seattle's homeless problem has been them moving from the rest of the county where services were not provided. Bellevue has been particularly resistant in doing anything, so I'm glad to hear there's a bit more. IIRC we would need just another 600 units here. IIRC Redmond has been doing better.
ReplyDeleteRandy, "Plymouth Crossing" in Bellevue has been in operation for over year. Little is known about their success. The IIRC is involved in the applicant selection process.
ReplyDeleteAnony. #1: It's my understanding, Council says there's no requirement for the people to have jobs while in the building.
ReplyDeleteAs a decades-long resident of Redmond, I am proud of Redmond's elected officials for working hard, and doing their jobs and making policy and decisions based on the good of the entire community and our place in the metropolitan area. They are doing the right thing.
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