Seattle goes back to drawing board on homeless spending

It's back to the drawing board for the Seattle City Council after a group of councilmembers reviewed current spending on homelessness and housing.

It was the first attempted review since the Head Tax was approved, then repealed earlier this year. That legislation bitterly divided homeless advocates and business leaders and came after lengthy talks within council chambers.

The Thursday meeting was held out of the spotlight in mostly empty council chambers.

Also see | Seattle looks to new homeless plan after failed head tax

City departmental leaders shared current spending figures, noting the city has spent $86.7 million this year in homeless services. Nearly $10 million of that has just been for cleanup and unauthorized encampment removal.

The City has also spent a little more than $12,000 a unit on tiny home villages, and $13,000 a bed on emergency shelter beds. The latter increased inventory by 25 percent.

Also see | Seattle mayor outlines plan after head tax repeal

The review comes as Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the city council prepare for budget negotiations this fall, with homeless spending likely drawing the scrutiny of many.

No council member suggested adding revenue, although Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda noted, "we're $200 million short here."