Democratic Policies At Work: “Almost Half” Of Seattle’s Homeless Population Is Not From Seattle

A new study from the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness reveals the devastating consequences of Seattle’s failed policies, which have not only failed to address homelessness but have actively worsened the crisis, according to 770 KTTH.

Driven by progressive ideology rather than practical solutions, city leaders have fostered a system that attracts homeless individuals from outside the region while keeping them trapped in cycles of addiction, crime, and dependency.

Rather than tackling the root causes, these policies have invited more homelessness, turning the issue into a manufactured disaster rather than a problem to be solved.

The study reveals that nearly half of the city’s homeless population became homeless outside of Seattle or King County, drawn in by the city’s permissive policies—free tents, open-air drug use, and a refusal to enforce encampment laws. An overwhelming 86.6% were born elsewhere, and 80.2% didn’t even attend high school in the area.

The KTTH report says that rather than addressing addiction and mental health, Seattle relies on the failed “Housing First” model, which prioritizes subsidized housing over real treatment. Instead of helping, the city warehouses the homeless, trapping them in cycles of dependency.

KTTH’s Jason Rantz argues that Seattle’s homelessness crisis isn’t about a lack of funding—it’s about failed priorities. The study shows the city has abandoned emergency shelters and recovery programs in favor of “supportive housing,” leading to a 282% spike in overdose deaths between 2020 and 2023.

Nearly half of King County’s 2023 overdose deaths were among the homeless, many in these housing units.

Like San Francisco and Los Angeles, Seattle spends billions while the crisis worsens. Leaders refuse to require addiction treatment before granting housing and have let encampments overrun parks and neighborhoods. Their one-size-fits-all approach ignores addiction and mental illness, trapping people in cycles of dependency.

Real solutions exist: prioritize treatment over subsidized housing, stop incentivizing homelessness, and enforce the law, Rantz says. Despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to ban encampments, Seattle refuses to act. Until it abandons failed progressive policies, the crisis will only grow—and it won’t stay within city limits.