Accomplishments

In my first six months in office I responded to an international pandemic, a recession, a national civil rights reckoning, and civil unrest. For most people just one of these events would knock them down. I worked every day to bridge differences, solve intractable problems, and reset our city’s foundation for a brighter future — to be the gem of the Northwest and nation. 

We are at a time of change in our city. Over the last decade we have grown into a large city, and now we have a moment to truly remake our downtown AND make our neighborhoods even more vibrant. And this work is already underway, the proof-of-concepts have already been tested, the prototypes are currently being used, and now we are scaling these plans city and District 6 wide. Born and raised in this city I know where we have come from, and I see the horizon of the next growth spurt that our city will make- while taking care of our own backyards.

Public Safety:

  • I supported fully funding the SPD staffing and hiring plans every year I have been in office.
  • I hold weekly meetings with law enforcement, City Departments, human service providers, and local business owners, residents, and neighborhood groups to address public safety issues in different neighborhoods.
  • My amendment fully funded the SPD recruitment media plan. 
  • I created a Public Safety Coordinator position in Ballard to coordinate between businesses, residents, city departments, and social service providers.
  • I funded a staff position to assist SPD’s compliance with the consent decree.
  • I worked with Mayor Harrell to add additional Harbor Patrol patrols during the summer. 
  • I funded and dedicated Mobile Crisis & Intervention Services to Seattle to help before, during, and after a crisis event.

Homelessness:

  • I resolved the encampment at the Ballard Commons without a sweep by expanding adequate shelter and connecting people with the shelter that met their needs by using a census and needs assessment. We are currently in year 3 of a 6 year plan to revitalize Ballard Commons Park, construction will begin in:
    • June: Children’s Playground
    • September: Family Affordable Housing (3 bedroom units) at St. Luke’s Church
    • January: New Sanctuary and Housing at St. Luke’s Church
    • I will re-submit my budget amendment for the skate park expansion to include features that learners can use (the skate bowl is only accessible to experienced skaters)
  • Woodland Park was the most successful encampment resolution in City history – again without using a sweep – because we created a census, needs assessment, and placement plan to get people inside. This changed approach to addressing homelessness continues to define our path forward with more success than pre-pandemic models. By securing funding the previous year, we restored Woodland Park to its intended use and left it in better condition than before the pandemic. 
  • I expanded our only outreach team dedicated to working with people living in their cars. I secured $2 million to tailor shelter options to better address the needs of people living in their vehicles.
  • I worked with Mayor Harrell to expand Unified Care Teams to create neighborhood based homelessness responses rather than relying on a city-wide response. Scaling this team will enable the city to respond to different needs in different neighborhoods throughout Seattle.

 Housing:

  • In 2021 and 2022, we met our promise of investing $200 million per year into affordable housing. In 2022, with $250 million invested, we began buying existing buildings in addition to new construction. This opened permanent supportive housing in Green Lake, Greenwood, and Ballard during my first term.
  • I passed legislation exempting affordable housing projects for up to 60% AMI from the design review process to reduce time and costs for getting these projects online.
  • I passed protections for manufactured home parks to protect seniors and low-income families from being displaced and help them stay in the neighborhoods they call home.
  • My bill helped reduce confusion between tenants and landlords, and it gives tenants a reasonable amount of time to repay debts, which will reduce the threat of eviction and ensure landlords are made whole.