A council member in the Seattle area is suggesting a $1 million proposal that would bus homeless people out of the state of Washington as part of a “family reunification” plan, Fox News reported.
The plan is proposed by King County Councilman Reagan Dunn.
The pilot program — to last for a year or two — would seek to help “people who have someone in another state willing to take them in but can’t afford the cost of getting there,” the same outlet reported.
“Busing programs have been around for decades and have had varying degrees of success. While they can be a cheap and convenient way to connect people, critics warn it could lead to dangerous situations and say there’s no guarantee of permanent housing,” it said.
“The city of Seattle and community organizers already offer free bus tickets as part of their broader approach to homelessness, but Dunn’s proposal, unveiled Tuesday, focuses on 1,000 homeless people who said they wanted to reconnect with family during a homeless count in King County back in January.”
Officials in both the city and the county are toying with a merger of services to better fight rising homelessness “in a region that has been dominated by tech companies like Amazon and where income inequality and skyrocketing housing prices are pushing more and more people onto the streets,” Fox News also noted.
Related: Rich San Francisco Residents in Pelosi’s District Don’t Want a Homeless Shelter There
“Seattle’s diversion program is not focused on one solution — such as transportation home when it is outside of Seattle. Our program is person-centered, client-driven and provides a diverse array of support,” said Kamaria Hightower, a spokeswoman for Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, the outlet reported.
Dunn represents part of the wealthy Seattle suburb of Bellevue and the southeastern corner of Washington’s most populous county.
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#Seattle-area councilmember proposes $1M busing program for homeless #councilmember https://t.co/j7PXqKwJVn pic.twitter.com/wURyvgWC6S
— Trendolizer (@Trendolizer) September 14, 2019
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