This week's special guest, Purpose Dignity Action's Director of Outreach and Special Initiatives Nichole Alexander, spoke with Sandeep and Erica about the work the PDA's CoLEAD program is doing with drug users at a longtime "hot spot" in the Chinatown International District.

Centered on 12th and Jackson, the area has been a frequent target for police operations, encampment removals, and city-led outreach efforts over the past decade.

The PDA's CoLEAD program, formed during the pandemic to relocate people from encampments on state highway rights-of-way into hotel-based lodging with intensive case management, saw results—according to Alexander, 95 percent of people they worked with moved into hotel-based shelters funded by the state, and 70 percent ended up in permanent housing. That program, known as the Encampment Resolution Program, lost state funding, and now CoLEAD is focusing its much more limited resources helping people around 12th and Jackson by offering them a safe, private place to stay—something Alexander says is a prerequisite for longer-term stability.

Unlike the city's Unified Care Team, which moves people from place to place while offering shelter referrals to some, CoLEAD spends weeks getting to know people individually and listen to their needs before moving them inside.

"I hear a lot of people say folks don't want to come inside, and that is not what we find," Alexander told us. "We find 95% of folks really do want to come inside. They just want something that's going to be safe for them. They want to be able to close the door, use a toilet safely, have case management that cares—and have that long-term care, not just a quick answer."

We also talked to Alexander about her personal story, the debate over whether jail and involuntary treatment lead to lasting recovery, and the misconception that low-barrier shelter or housing is inherently chaotic and destabilizing.

David was out this week, but we'll all be back together next week for a special election episode!

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In this episode, we take a closer look at Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed ban on anti-competitive covenants in grocery and pharmacy leases—a move aimed at preventing future food deserts. Is this a genuine step toward saving grocery stores and pharmacies, or, as Erica argues, a form of political posturing in the midst of a mayoral election?

We also broaden the discussion to consider alternative solutions, with Sandeep suggesting a re-evaluation of design review processes as a more effective lever for lowering costs and sustaining local businesses.

David highlights the critical ideological divide here between Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson, whose socialist-sounding stance on publicly backed grocery stores offers a stark contrast to Harrell's market-oriented approach on remedying food deserts. Whereas Wilson wants the government more involved in the private sector, Harrell would reserve public dollars for things like food assistance.

We also discuss turbulence within the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, based on Erica’s reporting about accusations of mismanagement and racism against its CEO, Kelly Kennison. This segment unpacks the broader debate about the organization's efficacy and future. We come back to a question we’ve discussed before: is it time to pull the plug on the KCRHA?

Finally, we talk about Mayor Harrell's campaign criticism of Katie Wilson's experience, with Erica challenging the tone and substance of Harrell’s attacks.

Quinn Waller is our editor.

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Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

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This week we take the patented Seattle Nice deep dive into Bruce Harrell's proposed nearly $9 billion budget, examining the Seattle mayor’s priorities as he’s fighting for his political life in what’s turned into a tough election year for him.

David points out how various local media outlets, from KIRO to our own Erica C. Barnett’s Publicola framed the budget news through their own lenses. The discussion also highlights the budget's strategic rollout, with Sandeep noting the mayor’s reliance on a "slick, produced, 15-minute video" in lieu of a traditional speech.

We then get into criticism of the budget, which assumes both sales and B&O tax increases and prioritizes spending on new police hires and, in the face of Trump threats, immigrant and refugee assistance and other supports. Erica criticizes the mayor for boosting spending for what will be ongoing programs with one time dollars, saying he is avoiding tough choices and leaving substantial projected out-year deficits. She argues he should have worked harder to cut the police budget in particular.

Sandeep echoes Erica’s concerns about a lack of fiscal discipline but says his concern extends to potential wasteful spending in all city departments and not just the cops. He also argues the mayor missed a political opportunity by not proposing more bold, innovative ideas.

We also get into the King County Council's recent ban on rent-setting software like RealPage to try and prevent algorithmic price fixing, which follows on the heels of a similar City ban. Finally, the podcast concludes with some back and forth about political endorsements, and specifically the “odd timing” of Pete Buttigieg's backing of Mayor Harrell.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.