Senseless in Seattle

The lead editorial in today's Seattle Times is about the planned "1811 Eastlake Project", a taxpayer-funded apartment building where homeless drunks could live for free. Unlike most homeless shelters, this one would allow its residents to keep drinking:

The ground is cleared, the permit is issued. City, county and state money (but not yet federal money) is in hand for a four-story building to house 75 chronic inebriates. The cost is $11 million, or $147,000 per tenant.

It was earlier reported that

Tenants will get two meals a day and free access to a nurse, alcoholism-treatment counselors and a mental health counselor. After three months, they will be expected to pay 30 percent of their income in rent.

30% of what income?

the notion that there are free or nearly free apartments in Seattle will encourage other cities' street drunks to come here. A building for 75 will not be enough. Another such building will be demanded, and another.

That would seem to be the much vaunted "Seattle Way"

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at January 16, 2004 03:07 PM