Published on July 31, 2018
Three health officials on the King County Board of Health are urging the panel to declare homelessness a “public health disaster” and advise local jurisdictions to respond accordingly — including potentially deploying large scale FEMA-style tents as emergency shelter before winter.
Two and a half years after both Seattle and King County declared a state of emergency for homelessness, health professionals and some local officials on the King County Board of Health say not enough is being done.
The three health officials on the public board are urging it to declare homelessness a “public health disaster” and advise local jurisdictions to respond accordingly — including potentially deploying large scale FEMA-style tents as emergency shelter before the winter.
The board heard Thursday from city and county experts on emergency response and homelessness. King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, who chairs the Board of Health, said the recommendations from health officials will be discussed at the next meeting in September.
Dr. Bill Daniell, a physician who teaches at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health, said he and others on the board are frustrated by a lack of action even as the number of people living outside has risen from 3,772 in 2015 to 6,320 in the 2018 Point in Time count.
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Originally posted on The Seattle Times by Asia Fields