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SHARE protesters will camp out in front of Councilmember Burgess’ home again tonight

September 30th, 2009 · Comments

Homeless men and women from SHARE (Seattle House and Resource Effort) camped outside of City Councilmember Tim Burgess’ Queen Anne home last night and the organization has just announced that protesters will return to his house again tonight. After camping outside of Mayor Nickels’ West Seattle home on Monday night and having the opportunity to speak face to face with Councilmember Burgess outside his home yesterday, the group said they were able to straighten out some misinformation and will return in the hopes that tonight’s repeat performance will bolster awareness even more.

In a press release sent out just after 10 a.m. this morning they wrote:

For the second night in a row, the homeless men and women of SHARE are sleeping outside of City Councilman Burgess’ house.

Last night’s sleepout protest was a far cry from Monday. First and foremost, there were no police cruisers posted outside of Mr. Burgess’ house. Apparently, the powers that be realized what a waste of taxpayers money it was to assign 6 police cars to watch people protesting peacefully. A few SHARE participants also had the opportunity to talk at length with Councilman Burgess. It seems that he was under the mistaken impression that the offer of a $50,000 advance on our regular funding was with no strings attached. He was not aware that we would have had to promise not to close down our shelters if/when that money ran out during the coldest months of the year. Mr. Burgess also told us that he would look into the matter. It seems that finally, the correct information is starting to come forward.

SHARE is a grass roots organization of poor people empowered by our system of self management. We provide more than 500 shelter beds every night in 15 indoor shelters and 2 tent cities. The City funds us only in the amount of $300,000.   Meanwhile, the City spends $400,000 a year on its Roy Street shelter which only houses up to 50 people. You do the math…

The sad reality is that unsheltered people die outside. So far this year, the Women in Black stood for 29 homeless people who died outside or by violence.

Until enough affordable housing is available, interim survival mechanisms such as the SHARE shelters and Tent Cities—and also Nickelsville–are necessary.

The reality of our sleepout is that it is not political in nature. It is about survival of the poorest in our community.

But despite the organizations claim that their cause is not a political one, but rather a social issue, many disagree. One reader, SorryButNo, commented on last night’s story against the SHARE/WHEEL protests. They wrote,

They already receive $300,000 from the city, and are using this media event to extort more money from the city in a time of dire financial crises. Just say no, Seattle.

SHARE/WHEEL has long ago moved away from its mission to help the homeless, and has instead moved into political activism, at the expense of the very people it is supposed to help. They have people who have been living in tent cities for YEARS. They have become a con game, and a haven for scam artists.

Other groups are far more effective in assisting the homeless. Donate your time and sympathy to them.

According to SHARE, the group did receive $300,000 from the city for the 2009 year, money which they say ran out when the Metro bus fare went up, rendering them unable to provide around 16,000 bus tickets for their 500+ members. With protesters returning to Upper Queen Anne for the second night in a row tonight, we’d like to hear what you think. Comment or email us at tips@queenanneview.com

Tags: Uncategorized

  • D Kramer
    For those who might like to help the homeless might I suggest if you need some lawn work - painting - moving- housekeeping work done that you might think of hiring someone from tent city 3 or 4.

    Now those at Tent city 4 - are required to have presented Identification and go through warrant check and sex offender check before being admitted into the Eastside tent city (possibly making it safer not only for the community but also for the homeless people staying at the tent city itself) - while those at Tent city 3 do not ( this location is closer to downtown and makes it easier for those here to look for work downtown) - but if you have some work that needs to be done - why not give someone who could really use the money do the work for you?

    The number for Tent City 3 is 206-399-0412
    The number for Tent City 4 is 206-618-3901

    People become homeless for a variety of reasons.

    In this economy some are simply homeless because they have lost their jobs and their unemployment has run out. Or they were only working part time and lost their jobs and now have no job and no unemployment in one of the worst economies in decades.

    Some at the tent cities do have felonies and some do have prior drug problems - but don't such people deserve a chance to rebuild too?

    I do not agree with Share's forced protest that it is inflicting on the city and on the tent city and internal shelter Share homeless it claims to help - but you know - please don't let your opinions of Share's recent Direct Action entirely cloud the way you see the homeless in Seattle.

    Sure some at Tent City have used it so they do not have to work whether for a few months or years - but I assure you there are some very beautiful souls there just working to try to get a job and some kind of affordible housing.

    Ask yourself please what if you were living paycheck to paycheck and maybe having bad credit and suddenly lost your job - where would you go - how would you make it. The people you help today who you see as lesser may just end up your "neighbors" if this economy continues to tank.

    And to any of my fellow homeless friends who are struggling to make it back up no matter the odds and the pain -
    Don't give up on yourself - on life or God. Remember Jesus was technically homeless when he was born.. born in a cave when no room could be found for his family..

    I know it is hard - heck I think over 20 % of the people the Women in Black have stood vigil for who have died homeless this year in Seattle took their own life intentionally or accidentaly. But don't give up .
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va9Inl-2w5Q
  • Anna M
    For more detailed information about the Housing levy including lots of reports, see the City of Seattle official website about the Housing Levy:
    http://www.seattle.gov/housing/levy/default.htm

    The funds go to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, the Low Income Housing Institute, Plymouth Housing Group and Catholic Community Services, and others. If you are in need of housing, contact the crisis clinic for referrals. http://www.crisisclinic.org/
  • amysee
    It's interesting to read the SHARE press release after reading the council member's report. It sounds like he and the SHARE demonstrators had a good conversation. Clearly from the comments here not everyone agrees with SHARE's tactics, but there's nothing wrong with constituents and lawmakers educating one another, is there?

    Short of feeding the homeless to the hungry there actually IS something we can do-- renew the Housing Levy. Funding from the levy is carefully distributed to nonprofits that are good stewards of that funding and do a good job of serving people in need. Prop 1 is a real solution.
  • vanderleun
    "not everyone agrees with SHARE's tactics, but there's nothing wrong with constituents and lawmakers educating one another, is there?"

    What does one have to do with the other. Can I squat on your lawn until I feel my educating you has resulted in your agreeing to do what I say you should do?
  • amysee
    Yeah, you could camp out on my lawn, if a) I could afford a lawn, and b) if I had so much power that the work I did every day-- say, as a city council member or other elected official-- made a massive impact on your life.

    But like michaelkelly says below, I don't think that's the real point. If we pass Prop 1, we will have the resources we need to end homelessness in the city. Which I think is something, deep down, all of us can agree with.
  • michaelkelly
    In the end, SHARE/WHEEL is not the issue here. The issue is that we don't have enough affordable housing in Seattle to meet the (growing) need. The 2009 One Night Count found 1977 people living unsheltered on the streets of Seattle. That's a 2% increase from the year before. This is in addition to the thousands of people staying in shelters and transitional housing on any given night.

    We need to provide more housing that the most vulnerable and lowest income families and individuals in Seattle can afford. VOTING YES on Prop 1, the Seattle Housing Levy, will help us to do this. The bulk of the Housing Levy will help to provide or preserve thousands of units for people earning less than 30% of the area median income ($25,300 for a family of four). It will keep people in safe, decent, and affordable housing and off of the streets.

    VOTE YES on Prop 1
  • ktstine
    one of the keys to solving homelessness is preventing it in the first place! vote yes for homes in november because renewing the housing levy is one of the main ways Seattle creates long-term, decent, safe affordable housing for the disabled, seniors, and low-income families.
  • Anna M
    Whether you agree with SHARE/WHEEL or not, one thing we can all do to provide affordable housing for working families, the elderly, disabled, veterans and domestic violence victims is Vote YES on Prop 1 to RENEW the Housing Levy!
    www.yesforhomes.org

    In addition to creating and preserving low-income apartments, the Housing Levy PREVENTS homelessness by keeping families in their homes during temporary economic emergencies like illness or job loss.
  • Why don't I see anything on that website about what and where this money goes, or how the needy can apply for aid? I just see a lot of self-congratulatory rhetoric. But hopefully I missed something.
  • Anna M
    For more detailed information about the Housing levy including lots of reports, see the City of Seattle official website about the Housing Levy:
    http://www.seattle.gov/housing/levy/default.htm

    The funds go to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, the Low Income Housing Institute, Plymouth Housing Group and Catholic Community Services, and others. If you are in need of housing, contact the crisis clinic for referrals. http://www.crisisclinic.org/
  • vanderleun
    I'm sorry but, really, why exactly must we do this? Why, exactly, are so many people so keen on always asking everyone else to reach for their wallets?

    Perhaps "one thing we can all do" is to stop nodding out heads over the drinking glass of this sort of cant.
  • Awesome. Because the way to make people sympathetic to your cause is to harass them in their own homes.
  • Name
    In addition when SHARE first made the threat to camp out in front of local politicians homes back in July, the United Way gave them $10,000 immediately for their bus tickets. So, in reality they should not need 50K because in July they demanded the 50K and got 10K.

    SHARE is a sham as is the man running it, Scott Morrow. Morrow is also the man behind Nickelsville, the illegal encampment that has been squatting on Port of Seattle property for two months and was kicked out today.
  • Princess Platypus
    It would appear that SHARE's version of the discussion last night is not the way Burgess remembers it. From Burgess' blog:

    "When I asked why they hadn't accepted the city's offer to advance some of their 2009 funding they said there were "too many restrictions." The only restriction I'm aware of is the city's expectation that the SHARE shelters remain open through the end of the year; the SHARE advocates couldn't identify any other restrictions when we talked last night. (I verified today that no other conditions were placed on the financial advance.)"

    http://timothyburgess.typepad.com/tim_burgess_c...
  • qag
    Like I said in a post on a previous thread, that this is nothing but extortion.

    This is the exact definition, since this protest is actually harassment disguised as a protest. If you give them money, they will go away.

    This opinion has nothing to do with not caring for the homeless, as I give my time as well as money to those in need. I simply choose to use a quality organizations like the Queen Anne Helpline and the Queen Anne Food Bank.

    There is no perfect answer to helping the homeless, but making people feel threatened by showing up on their doorstep and camping out is not a way that should be supported.

    This group has shown their true colors, and the people running it have lost their way. The majority of the homeless need rehabilitation, psychiatric care, and food. Maybe they should show up on the doorsteps of executives at Costco, Swedish Medical Center, and Schick Shadle and extort the services from them.

    A terrible example is being set here.
  • tiktok
    In *any* system, there's always some folks who just can't make it.

    The only way to get all the homeless off the streets is to make vagrancy illegal and stick them in jail, but that's not going to happen, so there will always be beggars sleeping outside.
  • kim
    please see the chaos that share has cause in the loyal heights neighborhood w/a shelter at the calvary church. this organization is pointless and abuse the system.
  • vanderleun
    Here's the ultimate solution that fixs 2 social problems with one policy: "Feed the homeless to the hungry."
  • vanderleun
    Bottom Line: There's just no end to the amount of money these parasites want to suck out of the system.
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