Homelessness takes center stage at District 2 candidates forum

The third in a series of Seattle City Council forums took place Thursday night with candidates from District 2 gathering to answer questions about their respective platforms, why they’re running, and more.

The forum was streamed live on Speak Out Seattle’s YouTube page.

RELATED: Homeless crisis major issue in latest Seattle council forum

The forum was moderated by KIRO Radio’s own and Candy, Mike and Todd co-host, Mike Lewis.

This is the third in a series of council candidate forums hosted by Speak Out Seattle. There are seven total candidates running in District 2, vying for the seat left open by current council president, Bruce Harrell. Harrell has expressed he won’t be running for reelection.

The candidate list in District 2 is a diverse one, and includes Socialist Worker Party member Henry Dennison, Seattle business owner Ari Hoffman, former Texas Legislature staffer Tammy Morales, Seattle City Light employee Christopher Peguero, massage therapist Matthew Perkins, community organizer Phyllis Porter, and Crime Prevention Coordinator for SPD Mark Solomon.

Showing up for the forum was Hoffman, Porter, Solomon, and Dennison. Perkins was expected to attend as well, but was a no-show.

Much like the first two forums, homelessness was again the primary issue on the minds of each candidate.

“The biggest problem we have is that we’re not taking care of people on the streets, and not triaging them,” said Hoffman.

“We need to stop allowing people to live in unsanctioned encampments,” said Porter.

You can watch video of Thursday’s forum above.

District 2 encompasses the southeast end of Seattle, including Beacon Hill, the International District, Columbia City, Georgetown, Mount Baker, and more.

The next forum hosted by Speak Out Seattle will take place Wednesday, April 17 at the Magnolia Community Center, and will feature candidates from District 7.

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