‘We can build a city that is more affordable and safer’: Wilson charts path forward in Seattle State of the City address

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed challenges from gun violence to affordability, and opportunities like the World Cup, in her State of the City address Tuesday.

Wilson delivered her address at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, which she noted was originally Washington’s oldest Orthodox synagogue, built more than 100 years ago.

“We are in a moment when our rights are under attack from so many directions,” she said. “When it feels like, at a national level, we are moving backwards. When it can feel impossible to believe our country will ever emerge from the storm clouds. In these moments, it is so important to look to history and to recognize that we have stood at similar junctures many times before.”

Mayor vows multi-pronged approach to gun violence

Wilson then dove into the prevalence of gun violence in the Seattle community, touching on the loss of two Rainier Beach High School students, along with deadly shootings in the Chinatown-International District and Pioneer Square.

“We have to do better for our kids,” she said. “And I know that hopes are not enough — my job as mayor is to do everything I can to turn those hopes into realities. My job is to take action.”

As a remedy, Wilson said the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will be restoring its late-night presence in those neighborhoods. Her office is also considering legal action against owners of chronic nuisance properties that create dangerous conditions, as well as a stabilization plan to address the root causes.

“My office is working to develop a robust and multi-pronged gun violence strategy that will involve collaboration across city departments, county partners, and community experts, including those who have lost loved ones to gun violence,” she said.

The mayor’s office is also planning to meet with a panel of local and national experts to develop a strategy around gun violence.

A new strategy for encampments

Wilson then highlighted the sweep of a homeless encampment in Ballard, saying six people were placed in housing, but acknowledged that the city still lacks enough housing, shelter, and services.

“If you take a step back or just walk around the city, I don’t think that anyone can really argue that our overall approach to homelessness has been successful,” Wilson said. “We can’t get so used to the way things are that we start to feel it’s natural for so many people to be left to sleep outside every night.”

“And we can’t just keep moving people from place to place and calling that progress,” she added.

Wilson said the city will prioritize encampment removals based on safety and neighborhood impacts. It will also conduct early outreach to people living on-site before removals, with flexibility built into the process.

“I’m committed to minimizing harm to people living in encampments at the same time as I take seriously the city’s mandate to keep public spaces open and accessible for their intended use,” she said.

Along with adding 1,000 new units this year, the mayor’s office intends to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to fund the expansion of shelters.

Seattle prepares for potential ICE surge

She also addressed a potential influx of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Seattle.

“Seattle has not yet seen a surge of ICE activity here like we saw in Minneapolis, but we’re doing everything we can to prepare,” Wilson said. “That includes amplifying the work of our Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, which provides Know Your Rights Trainings, legal consultations, safety planning, and broad partnerships with immigrant and refugee communities.”

The mayor’s office put together a webpage encouraging private property owners to post a notice stating that federal agents may not access their property without a warrant.

Wilson also said her office is examining the use of CCTV cameras, weighing privacy concerns against their usefulness to law enforcement.

“My overriding goal is that whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city, and there’s a place for you here,” she said.

Lowering the cost of living in Seattle

Turning to affordability, Wilson said residents shouldn’t need a six-figure income to live in Seattle. Her four main focuses are affordable housing, affordable childcare, affordable food, and support for small businesses.

Wilson encouraged people to fill out her online renter’s survey, which closes Friday, and said her office will meet with landlords and developers to create more affordable options.

Those efforts follow the Seattle City Council’s adoption last week of an Interlocal Agreement, which will send roughly $115 million to the Social Housing Developer this spring.

Covering childcare and food access

Wilson also called for Seattle to treat childcare and early education as public goods, like parks, schools, and utilities.

“My administration will be pursuing this vision as we begin to implement the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy voters passed last year, as well as identifying new resources and partnerships that can take us even further,” she shared.

Wilson also touched on the cost of food and food deserts, noting Fresh Bucks is now supporting more than  17,000 households.

Cutting red tape for small businesses

As for small businesses, Wilson said the Office of Economic Development’s Small Business Expediting Program is working to reduce red tape and help businesses open faster. Applications are now open for the Back to Business Fund to help with store security and vandalism repairs.

“Seattle has always been a city of builders,” she said. “We build companies that change the world. We build research institutions that save lives. We build neighborhoods that reflect our values. And we build partnerships that make progress possible. And together, we can build a city that is more affordable and safer.”

However, Wilson noted that the city is not on track to meet its Vision Zero goals to end traffic deaths on city streets by 2030.

“We have to do better,” she said.

Wilson closes with optimism

On a lighter note, the mayor’s office is looking to create more opportunities for people to play soccer in support of the FIFA World Cup and build more public bathrooms.

In closing, Wilson acknowledged challenges ahead but struck an optimistic tone.

“I’ve never had such a strong sense that we’re at the beginning of something great,” she said. “And I feel that across the city. A growing sense that maybe, yes, we can do big things.”

Wilson urged residents to embrace what she called “the discipline of hope.”

“I want to see people open up to the idea that another world is possible,” she said. “And by the time I’m giving the 2027 version of this address, I hope you’re all feeling that basic truth, and know and believe that yes, this is your city. Because Seattle is the best city in the world.”

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.