MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle planned safe injection site needs another $2.5M in funding

Mar 12, 2019, 3:14 PM | Updated: 4:47 pm

safe injection sites...

(AP)

(AP)

Plans for safe injection site in Seattle may be moving forward, but as of now, the city is in need of more money to fund the project.

RELATED: Seattle ‘should wait’ on plans for safe injection sites
RELATED: Will federal lawsuit impact Seattle’s plan for safe injection site?

“As of this writing, there continues to be insufficient County funds appropriated to both pay for the operating activities of a (safe injection site) and deliver the critical behavioral health services needed by King County residents,” interim Seattle Human Services Director Jason Johnson said in a recent memo to the Seattle City Council.

The city’s current plan would establish a single Community Health Engagement Location (CHEL) in a mobile vehicle, offering seven-day-a-week, 10 hour-a-day operations.

Services for that site would include medication-assisted on-site treatment (and other various medical services), a syringe exchange, HIV/HCV screenings, social services, drug and alcohol assessments, case management, and linkages to social services for legal and housing assistance.

The City of Seattle has already put $1.4 million in to cover “one-time costs associated with establishing a CHEL,” according to Johnson’s memo. King County also pitched in $500,000 to cover the cost of the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency tax that allows the purchase of the vehicle Seattle plans on using for its site.

That money still doesn’t cover an estimated $2.5 million annual operating cost for a CHEL, that currently has yet to be allocated by either the City of Seattle or King County.

“We will continue to work on securing funding and will work with the Mayor, the County, and advocates, but we should move forward with a scalable effort to save lives today,” said Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. “Doing nothing is not an option.”

Meanwhile, the city is keeping an eye on a lawsuit in Philadelphia, where federal prosecutors are going after Safehouse, a nonprofit trying to open a safe injection site in the City of Brotherly Love. The civil lawsuit is a joint case between Pennsylvania-based prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice.

“The City of Seattle is closely watching the progress of this lawsuit, and working with City Attorney’s Office to consider all of our legal options,” Johnson’s memo reads.

That lawsuit marks the first time the federal government has ever litigated against safe injection sites, making for a precedent — and possibly a warning — for cities like Seattle.

MyNorthwest News

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize up for grabs after $1.1B Mega Millions ticket sold

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $865 million ahead of Wednesday night's drawing.

6 hours ago

Photo: The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center....

James Lynch

King County’s plan to close youth detention center met with fierce backlash

The King County Law and Justice Committee received a final report on Executive Dow Constantine's plan to close a youth detention center.

8 hours ago

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

9 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

10 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

10 hours ago

Image: A Tacoma teen was shot outside her Tacoma Hilltop area apartment over the weekend....

Heather Bosch

Estranged boyfriend suspected in Tacoma teen’s death turns himself in

We're learning more about the man who's accused of fatally shooting a teenager outside her Tacoma Hill Top area apartment over the weekend.

11 hours ago

Seattle planned safe injection site needs another $2.5M in funding