Current City Hall News: 

click on headline for full story

   

Outside City Hall Vol. XXXIII: The Attack of the Townhouses  by Carolee Colter and John V. Fox

Councilmember Clark seems genuinely interested in ensuring a more creative approach to townhouses. Unfortunately, as we have seen over and over again, when discussions around zoning changes begin at the community level with earnest dialogue, citizen workshops, and lofty promises about reflecting community concerns and good design and other highfalutin’ values in new zoning, once the final decisions are made, we get something quite different.

click here for full story

 

Outside City Hall: Vol. XXXII: City moves ahead with multi-family tax break giveaway plan - click here for full story

-  Click here for closer look at the Mayor's Multi-Family Tax Break (MFTE) Giveaway Plan - & comparison of price of units in new MFTE developments to what tenants can afford

-  also see how much our city nabe's are exceeding their GMA (Growth Management) 2024 Targets - so where's the public benefit

- also compare current rents in hot nabe's to MFTE rent levels

 

Outside City Hall: Volume XXXI - Carolee Colter and John V. Fox

A NEW PARKS LEVY?  4/30/08

With this year’s expiration of the voter-approved Pro Parks Levy of 2000, Seattle faces the question of how to provide for its parks in the coming years.  During its eight-year lifespan, the $198 million Pro Parks levy funded acquisition of 42 acres of open space for parks, and 70 park development projects.  (click headline for full details)

We're also going "green" and moving toward "zero waste." Our city council has passed a resolution against the Iraq War. Maybe it's because of these civic gestures toward these national and global liberal causes that a lot of people who consider themselves liberals, or even progressives, seem to give the city of Seattle a pass when it comes to confronting the more intractable problems of poverty, social inequality and corporate control of government

 

Other stories

 

"Condo conversions and Demolitions Ravage Seattle and Puget Sound Housing Markets - Thousands of low income rentals lost in last 3 years (click here for details)

 

& Seven Seattle City Councilmembers Urge Passage of HSB 2014 and language giving cities the right to place limits on the number of condo conversions occurring in their community each year! click here

 

Last month, voters soundly defeated Proposition One, the $18 billion roads-and-transit package, an outcome we applaud.We share the underlying goal: ending the expansion of roads, with a massive shift of our transportation dollars to mass transit. But we do not support a move to rail because that would only bankrupt this region of resources we need for real transit solutions that get more people out of their car. Here is our crack at a broad set of sane regional transportation solutions: 

 

Outside City Hall Vol XXVII:

The Seattle City Council's 2008 budget follies overly favor South Lake Union
- Carolee Colter and John V. Fox (Seattle Displacement Coalition)

Bad enough to lose public money on developers’ private gain.  But this year’s budget showers its largesse on just one company and darn near one man, Vulcan, Inc.’s Paul Allen.  Since 2001 over  $100 million in city funds has gone into the redevelopment of South Lake Union (SLU) but it’s just a fraction of what’s to come.  click here for full story

 

Outside City Hall column: Vol. XXVI:

The Transportation Package to Nowhere Prop 1

In recent weeks, we’ve heard that some fellow progressives may cast their vote, however reluctantly, in favor of Proposition 1, the transportation package slated for the November ballot.  Proposition 1 is the single most wallet-busting, wasteful, regressive, carbon-emitting, elite-driven, gridlock-ensuring, misguided funding request ever brought before the voters of this region.

 

Outside City Hall: Vol. XXV:

Mayor seeks to subsidize developers and kill affordable housing - by John V. Fox and Carolee Coulter
- city council seeks your input on multi-family tax break giveaway plan
- a windfall for developers with no public benefit
- plan will actually spur still more displacement and loss of physical character in our nabe's

 

Outside City Hall Vol. XXIV:

Seattle’s urban forest is falling victim to the relentless growth - John V Fox & Carolee Colter

Condo Conversion Bills SSB 5031 and HB 2014 Under consideration: call or write them today - click here for details  &  click here to see joint letter calling on electeds to pass legislation giving back to cities the right to limit the number of conversions devastating their communities.

Outside City Hall vol XVIII: How deserved is Seattle's green reputation? reprinted from front page of the Beacon Hill News (12/29/06)

After years of the Bush administration with its "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests" Initiatives, we've learned to be skeptical. But when it comes to local government, it seems that the citizens of Seattle, especially those who consider themselves environmentalists, are all too ready to believe the fine words of our mayor and city council. Unfortunately it is "greenwashing" that too often passes for sound environmental policy in this city.  For example, let’s take a look at our “leaders” apparent preference for an expanded I-520 bridge.  There, you’ll find them responding to a different kind of green - that being the demands of cold hard cash and feeding Seattle’s downtown growth machine.  And then there’s the Mayor’s Urban Forest Management Plan that emphasizes planting new trees, but fails to address the loss of mature trees.  Here again, his plan to accommodate runaway density in Seattle fuels the loss of our existing tree canopy – much of which is on private “developable” land.  For full story click here:

 

Other outside city hall columns & key city stories - see below and click on

 Vol. XVII: Outside City Hall (reprinted from November 22nd 2006 edition of Beacon Hill News-click here)

I the spring of 2005, the Mayor's office released a 23-page "action agenda" containing several dozen recommendations for revitalization of Southeast Seattle.  Developed with the help of the Rainier Valley Chamber, Southeast Effective Development (SEED), Homesite, and prominent area banking institutions, the agenda included a seemingly innocuous recommendation for a “community renewal plan” for Southeast Seattle. Leaping ahead to the fall of 2006, a firestorm in Southeast Seattle has been ignited over the Mayor's attempt to implement that plan. It calls for the City Council to designate a special "community renewal area" or CRA with boundaries stretching from I-90 to the south city line and encompassing nearly every block between Martin Luther King Way and Rainier Avenue.

   

Our current "Outside City Hall" Column:
Why you must call the "Gov" and tell her to say "NO" to the tunnel & Why We're Voting "NO" on the $365 million "Bridging the Gap" Levy
  
- what was the Sierra Club doing when they bought off on the Mayor's tunnel project - the most gas guzzling pro car option to replace the viaduct?
- why you must call the Governor now - she's scheduled to decide by mid to late November - on whether to cast her lot with the $5 billion plus tunnel or go with other options - only your calls will make the difference (see her numbers/emails below)
- and why we urge all of you to vote an emphatic "NO" on the City's $360 million Bridging the Gap Transportation Package

 

"Community Leaders sign letter opposing SHA/Mayor/City Council Appointment of Sybil Bailey to the SHA Board & decry council and Mayor's use of Karl Rove tactics" (Sept '06)

 - click here for full story and to read open letter from activists and residents to the City Council

-  click here for our column on the Bailey appointment: Outside City Hall Sept '06 (reprinted from the Beacon Hill News)

 

Outside City Hall Column August 2006:

SEATTLE’S “BIG DIG”: Why we say 'NO' to the Mayor's Tunnel Proposal  Ever since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake cracked and weakened the Alaskan Way Viaduct, we as a city have faced a serious problem which will take serious money to solve.  Serious as in billions of dollars.  Mayor Nickels knew what he wanted right away—tear down the viaduct, replace it with a tunnel.  Eventually given the $5 billion  price tag, the tunnel was shortened bringing the cost down to a mere $3.6 Billion.  That is, if you don’t think cost overruns will happen here, as they did in Boston’s “Big Dig” which mushroomed from $5 to $14 billion. Click here for full story

 

Outside City Hall Column: Trees Equal Good Health - We don't prevent sprawl by sacrificing Seattle's Trees and Greenery - Carolee Colter and John V. Fox  June 28, 2006 

 

A Fishy Legislative Stew is Cooking up at City Hall" OUTSIDE CITY HALL: A view of issues affecting Seattle's Neighborhoods by Carolee Colter and John V. Fox 2/23/06 Things are heating up down at city hall. Our column this time is an attempt to give readers a heads-up on key issues our city leaders will be addressing over the coming year. Call it our hit parade of what really matters to the neighborhoods, particularly communities often left out when city resources are distributed.

OUTSIDE CITY HALL   1/12/06: "Who Will Bell the SHA Cat"  reprinted from January 06  Beacon Hill News) by Carolee Colter and John V. Fox

Much is said about the need for accountability in government spending, but when it comes to action, we’re like the mice in Aesop’s fable asking, “Who will bell the cat?”  A provision in a bill from state representative Mark Miloscia might just put a bell on the cat’s collar when it comes to Seattle Housing Authority’s continued destruction of low-income housing and the use of state money to pay for it.

 

"Local Unsung Heroes Recognized for their Community Advocacy": OUTSIDE CITY HALL December 2005:  Since the holidays are a time of good cheer, the two of us thought we would shift the attention of this column away from our usual focus on our city leader’s hapless misadventures.   In the spirit of the season let’s turn from our city’s dismal lack of leadership at the top and the pessimism it engenders to look instead down into our communities where real leadership is always found.  There are many unsung heroes out there working away at the grassroots and for this column what we want to do is feature some of them who because of their tireless efforts actually give us hope for our city’s future.   

 

News flash: South Lake Union Streetcar Benefits Go to 17 Large Property Owners While Small Property Owners Get Socked!
Coalition's review of streetcar assessment roles for each property owner shows that Paul Allen, Clise Properties, Fred Hutch, Seattle Times and 13 other large propery owners will reap the lion's share of benefit - $36 million - but pay only $13 million of the streetcar's cost.  Allen makes $21.4 million but pays only $7.9.  Meanwhile 100 small property owners are socked with large payments while receiving nothing in the way of real benefit.  Click here for a breakdown and look at how much each property owner will pay and how much each will gain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

revious stories and headline news (click on story):

 

Seattle Housing Authority's Rainier Vista HOPE VI celebration Aug 11, hides major problems, possible cost overruns, and violations of court-enforced obligations to low income residents and the Displacement Coalition. click here for full story

"Strippergate Can't Hold a Corrupt Candle to Vulcangate"

Strippergate” is back in the news. While too much has been said about “Strippergate," little or nothing has been said or done about more important and far-reaching examples of how special interests shape city decision-making.   (July '05 Outside City hall by John Fox and Carolee Colter)

 

Analysis: How Each Councilmember Performed on Monday’s June 27th Street Car Vote (see below):
 

"Council Votes 7-2 to Go-Ahead with Paul Allen's Street Car"

 

Vulcan Attacks Licata's Attempt to Restrict Use of Future Bus Service for the South Lake Union Street Car! (See Vulcan form letter attached below)

 

* While the Council is likely to release funding for the South Lake Union Street Car on Monday, they may back away from a committing future neighborhood bus service for trolley operations.  Only your calls will make the difference Testimony before hearing from some of you also is needed.  (Click on headline for details)

 

For more information, also see current Outside City Hall Opinion Vol X JOHN V. FOX & CAROLEE COLTER: reprinted from the Capitol Hill Times entitled: "The travesty of the Lake Union Street Car" click on this paragraph

 

"Plan to end homelessness ignores root causes"
OUTSIDE CITY HALL Vol IX: JOHN V. FOX & CAROLEE COLTER - A view of issues affecting Seattle's neighborhoods reprinted from Beacon Hill News and Capitol Hill Times 05/25/2005

Every day in King County over 50 social service agencies provide shelter and/or counseling to 2,500-3,000 homeless people. City and county governments fund these programs to the tune of over $20 million a year. Nevertheless, the number of homeless on our streets has continued its relentless upward climb. A new effort has recently emerged boldly calling itself the committee to End Homelessness. Over two dozen social service agencies, church organizations, King County, the City of Seattle and United Way have combined forces and promised to guarantee "a roof over every bed" by 2014. But in spite of its goal to "end homelessness, not manage it," the plan is conspicuously lacking in programs and strategies that would attack the problem at its roots.

 

"Seattle's empty promise of preserving affordable housing and what can we do to change that"
OUTSIDE CITY HALL Vol VIII by CAROLEE COLTER & JOHN V. FOX
04/28/2005 (Reprinted from the Beacon Hill News)

Every year we lose about 2,000-4,000 low-income units to demolition, speculative sale, abandonment, conversion and increased rents. For every one unit we build with limited public funds, we lose three to four times that amount to the forces of redevelopment and gentrification. As we write this column, the land use committee of the Seattle City Council is entertaining changes to the downtown land use plan and zoning changes elsewhere around town proposed by the mayor. This will translate directly into the loss of even more low-income housing in our city. 

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May 12, 2005 Bulletin: Mayor Holds Glitzy Press Conference on top floor of federal building - releases his new plan to max out downtown
- PR event cannot disguise the fact that his plan is little more than a blueprint for more housing demolition, abandonment, increased rents, and more homelessness in our City!
- Mayor times his PR event to push Councilmember Steinbrueck and other councilmembers into acting precipitously and before his plan has even been vetted by the Law Department and before there is adequate opportunity for council review or public comment
- Mayor's plan wipes out last vestiges of Citizens CAP initiative and crams still more highrises and more density into downtown with all its attendant impacts on our neighborhoods

 

May 12 2005: Displacement Coalition Bulletin #45: (please circulate)   Special benefits study shows South Lake Union property owners will rake in 70-80 million in increased property values if streetcar gets go-ahead but they refuse to pay more than $25 million of the cost. - Limiting property owners contribution while passing much of the cost on to taxpayers apparently is OK with the Mayor and most Councilmembers. And guess who gets the lions share of that increased value? Yep - it's Paul Allen! Let the Mayor and Councilmembers know what you think about this one.

 

Outside City Hall Vol VII: Mar 2005 Issue: reprinted from Beacon Hill News           

The fight to locate Casa Latina in Rainier Valley - One wonders, whose neighborhood is this? (click here for full story)

The controversy around the plans for the old Chubby & Tubby site on Rainier Avenue reveals the outlines of a struggle for the soul of Rainier Valley.  Despite the fact that Casa Latina provides jobs, counseling and other services to a population of Latinos that make up a significant percentage of the Southeast Seattle population (about 8 percent), the scions of the business community were outraged that the city was willing to provide funds for CASA Latina at this location. Given that 40 percent of all Rainier Valley residents are foreign-born, one wonders why the Chamber would cast such a negative light on a program that serves immigrants (click headline above for full story).

Outside City Hall Vol VI: Feb 2005 Issue: reprinted from Beacon Hill News

“Help Wanted: A New Mayor for Seattle"Someone with name familiarity, lots of dollars or ability to raise them, and proven leadership experience, willing to take on Greg Nickels for Mayor in 2005.  A large coalition of community leaders seek strong leader who will give first priority to our neighborhoods and small businesses, with the goal of ensuring equity, jobs, and affordable housing  for low income people, communities of color, and others now marginalized by the policies of our current Mayor... click here or on headline for full story

 

Outside City Hall Vol V: November 2004 Issue: reprinted from Beacon Hill News

Hundreds of "Scattered Site" Public Housing Units Threatened by SHA's plan to sell off many of these very low income units:

Other Stories: 

Outside "City Hall Column" Vol. VI reprinted from Dec 2004 edition of Beacon Hill News written by John V. Fox and Carolee Colter of the Coalition

Seattle's high density growth plans may be a neighborhood killer in disguise

"For over three decades neighborhood groups, low-income housing advocates, and environmental organizations have worked together. Their collective efforts led to passage of the Growth Management Act, Shorelines Act, and other environmental laws. They blocked the Bay Freeway, the I-90 and 520 expansions and a host of other bad auto-oriented projects. They worked together, locally, to secure support for growth limits on downtown high-rise expansion, controls on demolition of low-income housing and helped preserve the Pike Place Market.  Now it seems, in an attempt to advance an aggressive pro-density agenda, our mayor and a few other elected officials are trying to pull these natural allies apart."

For Full Story, click here or go to the Beacon Hill News Website at

http://www.zwire.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=13672634&BRD=855&PAG=461&dept_id=520818&rfi=6)                      

Update on Mercer Decision - November 3, 2004

Council votes to fast-track and limit environmental assessment while SDOT also has revoked earlier decision to require an EIS! 

- There will be no comprehensive or complete environmental impact statement for this $200 million megaproject and mega waste of city funds

- Ordinance and Resolutions releasing the Mercer Corridor funds Re-Crafted to Guarantee there will be NO state or federal EIS review nor study of less costly options that might really do something to relieve traffic congestion in the area.

 - What is the City Council doing releasing $1.8 million in limited city funds for study and environmental review when we already know they're going to conclude No EIS is necessary?

November 1st 2004 Counncil Vote on Mercer Corridore                          

Mercer Corridor Update:  Review of Monday Nov. 1st 2:00PM Council Chambers Final Vote - See how each councilmember voted

 - City Council votes to release $1.8 million in city funds to fast track study of the Mayor's $200 million 2-Way Mercer "Non-Fix"  Another $600,000 in 2005 City General Funds may also be released!

   - Only Licata (and to a degree Conlin) spoke for neighborhoods/Licata will present motion Monday to redirect funds for critical bridge repairs and other real needs in our city

Most recent past headlines (click on for details):

Volume IV: Outside City Hall  reprinted from Beacon Hill News

"The City Budget - Good or bad for our neighborhoods and low income people?"

- A View of Issues Affecting Seattle’s Neighborhoods  (October 2004)

                        - John V. Fox, Carolee Colter, Seattle Displacement Coalition

 This year Mayor Nickels offered a kinder and gentler budget for Seattle residents spotlighting all he is going to do for neighborhoods but are his budget proposals all that neighborhood friendly... Well not really.  Click on headline to read our commentary)  This is the fourth in a series of monthly commentaries from the Seattle Displacement Coalition reprinted from the Beacon Hill News/South District Journal - October edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume III of our commentaries reprinted from Beacon Hill News:

"Councilmembers allow Mayor to move ahead with planning for the South Lake Union Streetcar - opens door for huge hit on the City budget.  Mayor also angling to tap neighborhood bus service and still more of our tax dollars for other South Lake Union frills!"  - A View of Issues Affecting Seattle’s Neighborhoods  Vol. III  - John V. Fox, Carolee Colter Seattle Displacement Coalition (This column is the 3rd of a series of monthly commentaries from the Seattle Displacement Coalition reprinted from the Beacon Hill News/South District Journal - Sept 2004)

"Outside City Hall"  Vol. II (Aug 2004) - A View of Issues Affecting Seattle’s Neighborhoods   - Why the Mayor's plan to push more density into our neighborhoods does not guarantee affordability or prevent sprawl by Carolee Colter & John V. Fox, Seattle Displacement Coalition (This column is second of a series of monthly commentaries from the Seattle Displacement Coalition reprinted from the Beacon Hill News)

Outside City Hall  (July 2004) - A View of Issues Affecting Seattle’s Neighborhoods Vol. I- John V. Fox, Seattle Displacement Coalition (This is the first in a series of monthly commentaries featured in the Beacon Hill News from the Seattle Displacement Coalition)  Headline: click on it for details:

Against a backdrop of declining revenues and pressing neighborhood needs, what's the Mayor doing with his time? While neighborhood folks have trouble finding even one city planner and must compete for small grants that must be matched with their “sweat equity”, quite literally as much as 40 percent of all city staff time is now devoted to the redevelopment of South Lake Union.  Here’s a quick rundown on only some of the Mayor’s on-going plans in South Lake Union and what it will cost you in public dollars:

Coalition Bulletin: Update and Analysis of Council Committee Vote Yesterday on the SLU Streetcar:  

"New Council Members Dilute Conlin-Licata Proposals so some City Funds can still be used for South Lake Union Streetcar - New bus service to our neighborhoods also remains at risk"  - Some restrictions on use of city funds were imposed but loopholes mean millions in City funds are still at risk needed to meet neighborhood and human service needs in our city   (August 16th 2004)

Other recent stories from the last month (click on headline):

"Over 130 community leaders sign letter to City Council saying no city, state, or federal funds should be used for the South Lake Union Streetcar" (August 9, 2004)

(click here to see full text of letter from community leaders or on headline above)

- 9000 hours of city-wide bus service are threatened as Mayor seeks to cut deal with METRO to have them operate trolley

    There's a half billion dollar backlog of neighborhood transportation needs and this is what the Council is doing with it's time and our taxdollars - figuring out how to help Paul Allen build his trolley to nowhere! Expect more cuts to human services and to neighborhood programs next year to pay for it as well.  Bus Service may also be cut back in Seattle to cover operating expenses. 

 

"Paul Allen should pay for his own darn trolley!!"

Click here on on this headline for more on  Coalition position (July 14, 2004)

 

Bulletin 56: (June 16th 2004)
Displacement Coalition Begins Series of Monthly Columns in Beacon Hill News called "Outside City Hall - a view of issues affecting Seattle's neighborhoods" 1st column "why the Mayor's plans for South Lake Union affect Southeast Seattle" (June 16, 2004)
 

"Over 125 people including many residents turned out last week to tell SHA they will fight the loss of any of the 580 public housing units on site at Yesler Terrace"- a report on the June 10th Forum on the Future of Yesler Terrace (June 16, 2004)

Bulletin #55 Housing/Homeless Advocates Weigh-In on New Library & Volunteers Really Needed for U-District Shelter Programs (June 3, 2004)

Citizen's Transportation Advisory Committee Today Reveals $500 Million Backlog of Neighborhood Transportation Needs - Meanwhile the Mayor busies himself and two dozen of his staff with plans for a $50 million Street Car and $200 million in other transportation improvements for South Lake Union! (May 25, 2004)

"SHA Announces Plan to Sell-Off 200 Scattered Site Public Housing Units - Promises 100 percent replacement..... but will they?" (May 10, 2004)

 “Alcohol Impact Areas to be extended to U-District, Downtown, Lower Queen Anne, and Central Area - Hearing Tomorrow Tuesday, May 11th, 5:30PM in Council Chambers" - It's called appeasing the downtown and chamber crowd and pushing the poor around.  Meanwhile absolutely nothing substantive is done to stop the destruction of low income housing in our city and these areas, and they continue to cut funding for community-based alcohol, drug treatment, and mental healthcare. (May 10, 2004)

 "SHA has longterm plans to destroy Yesler Terrace's 580 Public Housing Units" - Broad Coalition forms to prevent loss of public housing - You are invited to a "Large Community Forum" called for June 10th 6:00 PM at Bailey Gatzhert School to collective voice our concerns and hear your concerns. (May 10, 2004)

 "Special Report on HOPE VI by John McLaren":  click here for the full report which provides a useful and important analysis of the status of this federal program and how it has been used here locally and nationally as a tool to dismantle our nation's and city's public housing stock.   

See below and click on headline for more stories from this year:

Community Leaders Call for Council Delay and Review of Pending Multi-Million Dollar South Lake Union Land Sale Involving City and Vulcan-Owned Properties  - And a call for hearings and re-establishment of the Public-Private Partnership Review Committee to review pending plans (April 28th)

 

 

What's So Sustainable About the Mayor and Vulcan's Plans in South Lake Union? A report on what happened last Wednesday at Councilmember Richard Conlin's Brown Bag Lunch "Achieving Sustainable Development in South Lake Union" (April 16th)

Update/analysis of vote on Car Impound Law,City Budget & "TIF" (Tax Increment Financing  & How some of your electeds performed)  (March 31st):

Mayor Returns Vulcan's Illegal Office Fund Contributions in Wake of Coalition's Complaint (March 24th, 2004)

"Press Release: Coalition Files Ethics Complaint Against Mayor & Vulcan for unlawful contributions to Mayor's Office Fund"  (Mar 24th, '04)

"Coalition Bulletin: Multi-Family Tax Breaks Approved Today in Full Council"  - See how each councilmember voted"  (March 15, 2004)

"Coalition's Response to Councilmember Tom Rasmussen's Position on the Proposed Multi-Family Tax Abatement Program" (Mar 11, '04)

"City Council poised to give away tax breaks to developers, passing on to you another $20-$30 million in added property taxes while homeowners and Seattle tenants will face higher rents! - Call your councilmembers today - oppose “multi-family tax abatement” giveaway!" (Mar 7, '04)

"Coalition calls for City Council resolution establishing a task force to study displacement in our neighborhoods. Six month study would end with passage of new laws put in place before the Mayor's upzones are implemented that will accelerate loss of low income housing in our city"    (Feb 18, 2004)

For archived city bulletins going back to 2003 click here

The Seattle Displacement Coalition's Mission:

                The Seattle Displacement Coalition is a 26 year-old region-wide low income housing organization, made up of low income residents, the homeless, and representatives of social service, church, civil rights, women's, and community-based organizations.  It is a volunteer community organization with a staff of 1-3 people depending on its current funding and current activities. The Coalition was created to provide a forum for affected people and their supporters to call for preservation and expansion of low income housing and other measures that ensure a fairer distribution of economic and political resources in the Seattle/King County area.  The Coalition has a long track record of building successful campaigns around winnable low income housing legislation and it has successfully represented and built leadership and participation among groups of low income tenants, and the homeless challenging developer/city actions that threaten those communities. 

The Seattle Displacement Coalition works with low income and homeless people - and people at risk of becoming homeless -  of all racial, age, and economic backgrounds.  Through direct action strategies, we organize affected people around real objectives that will make a difference in people's everyday lives while developing a capacity among these groups to move on to larger system-redefining objectives.  We also link the activity of affected groups to the activities of a broader area-wide coalition that includes church, civil rights, community, and labor organizations that supports not dominates a homeless and low income agenda. 

 

Issues the Coalition is currently addressing:  For more specific on-going 2004 activities  jump here

                1.  Housing Issues Campaign designed to prevent the continuing loss of low income housing in our city to demolition, abandonment, conversion, speculative sale and increased rents: This initiative is designed to focus the work of housing and homeless organizations, and homeless and low income people themselves, around winnable legislative objectives, by broadly publicizing the need for a renewed housing movement through publication of regular e-mail bulletins ,and then directing that energy and participation into a campaign to secure housing reforms in Seattle. 

                A Right of First Refusal Law  would give tenants in low income housing the right to form their own non-profit or link up with an existing non-profit and buy the apartments they are renting if that housing is slated for demolition or speculative sale.  These tenants also would be given access to  public funds needed to assist them in that purchase so their buildings could be converted into cooperatives, land trusts, or other forms of permanent low income housing.  Click here for a copy of our proposed right of first refusal law.

            City Council Resolution Creating a Task Force to Assess Displacement now occurring in our neighborhoods.  The 15 member task force appointed by the head of the Council's Housing Committee and staffed by the Office of Housing would have six months to assess the problem, compile data, and come up with a set of legislative recommendations for Council adoption before the Council moves forward with the Mayor's plans for significant upzones of several neighborhoods in the City.  We must have housing preservation mechanisms in place before any further changes in zoning occur that would only  accelerate the loss of low income housing in our city.  See above headline for more information or click here to jump to another web page for more information on our anti-displacement resolution. 

2.  “Homeless Civil Rights Organizing”:  a continuance of our campaign to build participation among homeless people of all ages around the goal of turning back laws and local government actions that threaten the civil rights of the homeless, and to link that participation with active support from civil rights, church, community, and labor groups.  .  We aim  to redirect public policy back towards provision of housing, jobs, and services rather than jails for the homeless.  Measures implemented during the Sidran/Pageler era at City Hall that must be overturned include the  "no-sitting law",  pedestrian interference law, car impound law, use of trespass admonishments, and parks exclusion law.   For information on why Mark Sidran should never be elected to public office again, let alone the position of State Attorney General, click on the box just below for a compilation of his dismal anti-homeless and anti-civil rights agenda.   For more information on the specifics of each of these anti-homeless laws, click here:  jump to anti-homeless laws discussion.

4. Holly Park, Rainier Vista, and Senior Housing - Holding SHA Accountable :  For several years the Seattle Displacement Coalition has been engaged in a concerted effort to hold our Seattle Housing Authority accountable to its underlying mission of providing units to our City's poorest residents.  In 1997, we worked to ensure 100 percent replacement of any units lost at Holly Park due to SHA's HOPE VI redevelopment of that site. Our efforts did not stop the destruction of over 400 low income public housing units but it did result in passage of a low income housing replacement plan in which SHA committed to contributing dollars towards off-site replacement of a portion of those units.   We helped bring together representatives of labor, housing, and community groups and launched a campaign to challenge SHA’s plans at Rainier Vista as well - another HOPE VI project that will result in the loss of 170 public housing units.  As a result of a lawsuit we filed against that project (joining Friends of Rainier Vista and tenants represented by Columbia Legal Services and the NW Justice Project), we were able to force SHA to solidify an off-site replacement plan and secured commitments from them to undertake efforts to avoid loss of low income public housing  at Yesler Terrace when they launch redevelopment plans at that 550 unit site.  We also won a commitment to rollback rent increases on the 1000 unit Senior Housing Bond Program(SSHP) and to look at alternatives to that policy.  The result was a permanent rollback of the rent increase for low income seniors the program coupled with more modest increases over time on higher income residents living in SSHP units.  We also organized residents of this program so that now in each building under this program, there are representives who participate in a resident based organization made up of program residents.  This group the SSHP Advocates have a board and are not effectively representing their own interests.

            We will continue to monitor SHA’s compliance with its housing replacement obligations at each of its HOPE VI projects (where over 1000 public housing units were torn down).  We will seek to redirect SHA projects like its current plans for the 550 unit Yesler Terrace Public Housing Project that would cause the loss of additional low income units, and instead promote alternatives that ensure "no net loss" of existing public housing.  Due to federal budget cuts and regulatory changes, housing authorities across the country are dismantling their low income housing  by converting it to market rate, selling it off for market rate development, or moving to mixed income strategies rather than serving those most in need. By maintaining a broad coalition of church leaders, community leaders, housing advocates, social service providers, and affected people themselves, we will seek to prevent further losses of public housing here in Seattle.  Five years ago, the Displacement Coalition working with a broader coalition of these groups  secured passage of a state measure that  restructured  the Seattle Housing Authority - expanding the board, forcing more frequent review of current board appointments, and requiring city council approval of all board appointments and extension of board appointments.  Also the law required that 2 of 7 members of the board now are public housing residents.  It also strengthened conflict of interest language.  The effect of this bill has been to  force more accountability out of this agency.

              4.  Homeless Youth Organizing and Housing Project :  In total for this project we raised over $40,000 which covered our 1996-1997 expenses. We also entered into a relationship with the Low Income Housing Institute and  secured a significant Stewart McKinney Grant  which paid for the purchase of a single-family home (under LIHI’s name) and that covered most operating expenses.  After helping launch this effort and ensuring that it would continue, this project was split from the Coalition.  It now is a   task force of the Church Council and to a large degree, it retains the unique characteristics of the project that distinguished it as one of the state’s only truly “independent living” projects for homeless youth.

               5.  Challenging development and policy decisions that cause displacement:  A key focus of ours is to challenge the misdirection of limited city resources - the city’s continued commitment to spending for downtown development and in South Lake Union at the expense resources we need for  low income housing and our neighborhoods.   In the past, we sued the City and filed a complaint with HUD charging misuse of federal Section 108 funds for development of a new Nordstrom store and a downtown parking garage.  These were federal monies had been intended to curb blight and address low income needs.   Our complaint forced changes in the Section 8 program and because of former Norm Rice's role in the deal, it cost him a cabinet position.

The Mark Sidran Rap Sheet