As we all know, homelessness is a red hot issue in the neighborhood. The Seattle Times has published an in-depth story on Ballard’s homeless, and there’s one surprising statistic shared by reporter Scott Greenstone:
Ballard is experiencing an influx larger than almost anywhere else in King County. The annual Point In Time count found a fourfold increase in homelessness in central Ballard in just one year, with 214 people tallied there on one night in January.
That tally is for Central Ballard. If you look at West Woodland and the “Frelard” area, the count was 94 people in January, up 147%. A couple other Seattle neighborhoods saw even more growth: the University District and the Georgetown area.
Why Ballard? Greenstone talked to case workers who said several factors are likely involved: avoiding the downtown area, ample RV parking in Ballard’s industrial areas and a network of organizations that help support the homeless.
But don’t just read our summary — go read the story. It brings together a lot of our previous reporting with some nuance that illustrates the complexities of the problem. And if you’d like to leave a comment, please keep it civil and constructive.
(Archive photo from April from KIRO TV)