Rantz: Seattle homeless population is imported, almost half are outsiders

The Seattle homeless population is the tragic result of failed policies. But it’s not just a problem — it’s a manufactured disaster, enabled and exacerbated by left-wing policies that have done nothing but invite more homelessness while refusing to address its root causes. A new study from the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness explains how dire the situation truly is in Seattle.

The study lays out in devastating detail how Seattle’s approach has not only failed but made everything worse. The city’s leaders, obsessed with progressive ideology over practical solutions, have created a system that draws homeless individuals from outside the region and keeps them trapped in an endless cycle of addiction, crime, and dependency.

The data is alarming.

According to the study, nearly 50% of the Seattle homeless population became homeless outside of the city or King County. They came here because Seattle has built a reputation as a haven for the homeless — offering free tents, enabling open-air drug use, and refusing to enforce laws against encampments.

A stunning 86.6% of the homeless population was born outside of Seattle or King County. Nearly 67% of the homeless neither currently have, nor ever ever had, family living in Seattle or King County. Even more telling, 80.2% of them didn’t even attend high school in the area.

Homelessness isn’t a Seattle crisis — it’s an imported one.

What’s worse is that once people arrive, they don’t get help — they get warehoused. Seattle follows the disastrous “Housing First” model, which prioritizes getting people into subsidized permanent housing while ignoring addiction treatment and mental health care.

The study found that the city has shifted its entire funding structure away from emergency shelter and recovery programs in favor of “permanent supportive housing.” The result? A 282% increase in overdose deaths inside these housing units between 2020 and 2023. King County reported that nearly half of all overdose deaths in 2023 were among the homeless population, many of them in these so-called “supportive” housing units.

And it’s only getting worse.

Is this San Francisco? The Seattle homeless population might be?

Seattle is following in the footsteps of Los Angeles and San Francisco — spending billions while watching the problem explode because the city refuses to implement real solutions.

Seattle’s leaders don’t require treatment for addicts before they receive housing. They’ve actively redirected funds away from emergency shelter and transitional housing, even as unsheltered homelessness has surged. They’ve adopted a one-size-fits-all approach that assumes every homeless person is just a down-on-their-luck tenant rather than someone struggling with addiction or mental illness. And it means it doesn’t fit anyone. Perhaps worst of all, they’ve refused to enforce basic laws—allowing encampments to spread across parks, sidewalks, and residential neighborhoods, turning once-thriving communities into dystopian tent cities.

Real solutions for the homeless exist — but Seattle won’t listen

The solutions to this crisis are not a mystery and it’s not rocket science — it’s common sense.

Prioritize treatment over subsidized housing. Instead of flooding the city with more subsidized apartments that turn into de facto drug dens, Seattle must invest in addiction recovery. That means funding detox centers, inpatient rehab programs, and sober-living communities where people actually get the help they need.

Stop incentivizing homelessness. Seattle is an open invitation for anyone across the country looking for a free ride and no rules. The city must end unlimited benefits for people with no ties to the region. That means prioritizing services for those with roots in Seattle—those who actually lived, worked, or had family here before becoming homeless.

And enforce the law. The recent Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court decision gives cities the authority to ban homeless encampments, yet Seattle still refuses to act. It’s time for a zero-tolerance policy for illegal encampments — combined with rapid, mandatory placement in treatment programs for those suffering from addiction or severe mental illness.

It’s not about the money

This crisis is not about money — Seattle has already wasted billions. It’s about priorities.

The Left’s “compassion” is nothing more than cruelty wrapped in a feel-good slogan. Until the city abandons its failed progressive experiments and adopts a reality-based approach, Seattle’s homelessness crisis will continue to spiral out of control.

And if you think this disaster will stay contained within Seattle’s borders, think again. Take a look around.

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