Seattle seniors terrified by nearby housing programs for homeless, drug use rampant

Residents of a senior living community in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle are raising alarms about nearby subsidized housing projects managed by the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC). They say their councilmember is ignoring their concerns.

Bob Nale, chair of the resident council at the senior living community, described the neighborhood as a “hellscape” on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. He cited frequent incidents involving residents of the DESC properties, which house formerly homeless individuals with severe mental illness and chronic addiction. He says it’s gotten so bad that sometimes the homeless won’t even let him enter his own apartment complex.

“We’ve woken up to see the sidewalk covered in blood from knife fights,” Nale said. “These people are like zombies, doing drugs openly on the sidewalks.”

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Subsidized housing projects can become magnets for drug dealers

The DESC properties, Canaday House and Kerner-Scott House, have become magnets for drug dealers, according to Nale.

“The senior living community has invested $20,000 in security measures to keep drug dealers out of our building,” he explained.

Despite these efforts, Nale said residents feel unsafe and often avoid going out at night.

“We know that the streets around here are not safe,” Nail added.

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A recent alleged murder stoked fears

Nale also highlighted a recent case where a resident of Canaday House, Alistair Baldwin, was found incompetent to stand trial for murder. He allegedly killed another resident, but recently had his charges dropped until he can regain competency.

“This incident has heightened fears among the senior community about the safety and accountability of individuals placed in our neighborhood,” Nale said.

A big concern around homeless subsidized housing programs, in general, is that they’re either low-barrier or part of a “Housing First” model that does not require homeless people to seek treatment for their mental health or addiction issues, if they have any, as a condition of entry into the program.

“These people desperately need help, but they’re not getting it,” Nail emphasized.

He recounted an incident involving a woman from Kerner-Scott House who “sits in the middle of the intersection in her wheelchair and screams bloody murder all day and all night.”

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Seattle City Council hasn’t responded to issues

Despite reaching out to local officials, including Seattle City Council Member Bob Kettle, residents have received little response.

“I’ve contacted Bob Kettle many times, but there’s been no response,” Nail said.

He expressed frustration with the lack of action from elected officials, who he feels are not addressing the concerns of their constituents.

“It makes me wonder what our elected officials are doing if they’re not caring for the concerns of the voters,” he remarked.

As the homelessness crisis continues to impact Seattle, residents like Nail are calling for more effective solutions that address the underlying issues of mental illness and addiction, rather than simply providing housing.

“If these people are so incompetent that they can’t manage to take care of themselves, how can you put them in a neighborhood and expect them to integrate?” Nail questioned.