YIMBY says part of homeless problem could lie with building regulations
Apr 21, 2016, 2:04 PM | Updated: 10:26 pm
City officials in Seattle say they will no longer use state corrections crews for homeless encampment cleanups after the city’s Human Rights Commission raised concerns over the use of prison labor. (AP)
(AP)
A Seattle YIMBY says at least part of the city’s homeless problem may stem from zoning regulations.
Laura Anderle Bernstein told KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz that she would like to see more multi-family housing in what has been, traditionally, single-family housing neighborhoods.
Related: Washington state senator says homeless approach has ‘completely failed’
She says there’s a missing “middle” ground that could be pushing people into the streets.
YIMBYs, or “yes in my backyard,” is a movement of people opposed to the opposite idea of NIMBYs (not in my back yard). But neither Rantz nor Bernstein like how “NIMBY” has been used. Rantz says it’s a term used to bully people who want to help, but have different ideas than Twitter activists. Bernstein says she doesn’t use the antagonistic word because it stifles conversations.
The YIMBY movement will hold its first national conference in June in Colorado.
Bernstein says the YIMBY response encourages people to consider homeless people as their neighbors, instead of a problem.
Rantz pointed out that there are a lot of people who don’t want to live near illegal encampments or RVs.
“Anyone could find themselves in this situation,” Bernstein told Rantz. The movement, she added, is about treating people with respect, whether they have a home or not.
The YIMBY response is yet another voice competing for attention in the ongoing homeless debate. It’s an issue that hits particularly close to home for Seattle residents who have seen homeless numbers consistently rise. The most recent count of Seattle’s homeless population puts the number around 4,500 people; that’s about 700 more than the previous count.
State Senator Mark Miloscia confronted city officials Wednesday night, asking if the millions of dollars being spent on homeless programs is being spent wisely.
“Why are you doing so bad?” he asked. “You’ve got some of the brightest, smartest people here. You need to do better.”
Miloscia says too much is being done to encourage people to stay on the street instead of motivating them to get long-term help.
Seattle officials countered saying the city’s efforts are making a difference – from adding encampments to increasing shelter beds.
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