Seattle's homeless crisis: A debate hosted by KUOW
On any given night there are more than 12,000 people experiencing homelessness in King County.
The homelessness crisis is a complicated issue. It evokes strong emotions from people across the region.
There are a wide range of opinions on how to best tackle the issue, how much money should be spent and whether public dollars are being spent wisely.
Everyone is impacted by the homelessness crisis in some way. Some argue that it’s killing our city – bringing us into a state of decline. Others argue that homelessness is merely a symptom of a much larger problem. KUOW’s That’s Debatable series gave both sides a chance to weigh in on the issue.
The proposition: The homelessness crisis is killing Seattle.
The "yes" panelists were Mellina White Cusack, author of The Seattle Conservative blog, and Sergio Garcia, a police officer and former City Council candidate.
The "no" panelists were Ashley Archibald, staff reporter at Real Change, and Dr. LaMont Green, co-chair of the Lived Experience Coalition, a group of people who are formerly or currently homeless working with local governments and philanthropies.
This event took place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute on October 29. KUOW reporter Kate Walters introduced the event. Ross Reynolds served as moderator. Robert Jacobs-Springer recorded the debate.
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John O'Brien
Senior Producer, All Things Considered
John O’Brien is KUOW's All Things Considered Senior Producer. He spends his days setting up interviews with newsmakers on subjects from politics and public health to arts and culture. John learned to make radio starting in 2006 as an intern on KUOW’s The Conversation with Ross Reynolds.
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