Video: Tom and Curley respond to Internet’s ‘homeless island’ response

It’s sadly no secret that the homeless population in Seattle has grown significantly in recent years.

From the controversial issues surrounding the “Jungle” — a homeless encampment under the I-5 — to the appearance of tiny villages to provide housing for those in need, it’s clear that Seattle is currently facing a crisis with no easy solution. Mayor Ed Murray has even hired a director of homelessness to help address the problem.

This is naturally a sensitive subject with conflicting viewpoints, but KIRO Radio hosts aren’t shying away from the discussion. As the conversations continue, KIRO Radio listeners have also offered their input.

A Tom and Curley Show listener recently suggested the idea of a ‘homeless island‘ outside of Seattle – the idea is to give the chronically homeless “a place to live apart from the general population [which] would give them a chance to regroup and eventually reintegrate into society.”

John Curley found the idea appealing, and Tom Tangney found the idea ridiculous.

After the on-air debate, we asked our listeners and readers to weigh in as well, posing the question on Twitter. The reactions were so strong that Tom and Curley would like to offer the following response to the Internet’s reactions.

What prompted this, you ask? While a tough topic, this is the discussion going on among local residents and politicians alike, and the question is representative of both sides. A tweet about the topic caught the attention of the Twitter-sphere, who responded with strong feedback.

Is an island set aside for the homeless approach inhumane, or a strict, yet reasonable remedy?https://t.co/fHzx5PIuy3

— KIRO Radio 97.3 FM (@KIRORadio) August 29, 2016

Homeless Island Response – Curated tweets by Mynorthwest

Additionally, vice chair of the King County Democrats Omaha Sternberg also faced backlash when she joined the debate on KIRO’s Jason Rantz Show. She offered her response as well.

“I was actually surprised with the amount of hate and the response I got. I was hoping to have a general conversation about concepts — what this would work with, what it wouldn’t work with. It’s just an idea to throw around.”

You can catch Tom and Curley live at the Triple DoorFriday, September 16, 2016 at 8 p.m. for “A Very Special Evening with Tom and Curley.”