Katie Wilson vows to house all Seattle's homeless ahead of World Cup

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has vowed to house all homeless individuals in the city before World Cup matches are hosted there in June.

“The World Cup gives us a pretty aggressive timeline for trying to bring people inside with the support that they need, as opposed to sweeping people to other neighborhoods,” the socialist mayor told Politico in an interview. “Folks who are experiencing homelessness downtown often also have complex challenges related to drug use and mental illness.”

Wilson took office at the beginning of this year and has begun rolling out her plans to address homelessness, an issue on which more than $1 billion has been spent over the past decade with little measurable improvement. President Donald Trump previously threatened to remove World Cup matches from Seattle following Wilson’s election. While Wilson dismissed those threats, the upcoming World Cup appears to be a significant factor behind her push to accelerate efforts to address homelessness.

Under the plan, the city aims to create 500 new shelter units prior to the first match at Lumen Field on June 15. The units would include tiny home villages, RV placements, and apartment housing. By comparison, Seattle added just 13 new shelter units over the past four years.

Concerns have been raised about potential interactions between World Cup spectators and the homeless population, as Lumen Field is within walking distance of downtown Seattle. Despite those concerns, Democrats in Washington state are urging Wilson not to rely on encampment sweeps as part of the effort.

“We do not have sustainable resources to scale up all the places for people to come inside, be it permanent or temporary locations,” said state Representative Nicole Macri, who also serves as deputy director of a homeless nonprofit.

Seattle’s homeless population has grown to nearly 17,000 people, increasing significantly since the issue was designated as a crisis in 2015. Seattle and Washington state consistently rank among the top five nationwide for per capita homelessness and overall growth in the homeless population. Washington also reportedly has the highest rate of chronic homelessness in the United States, defined as individuals who have been homeless for more than 12 months or four times over the course of three years.