As the City Council election nears on Tuesday, homelessness and retail crime appear as major issues that voters will have to consider.
On one front, the council is debating whether to approve Mayor Jennie Durkan’s request to include $8.4 million for a homeless response team. The Navigation Team is tasked with removing illegal homeless camps but some on the council want to defund the team and use the money for outreach services.
On another front, a recent survey of 425 Seattle property managers revealed that 70% say they are more concerned about safety now than they were five years ago.
“Concern is highest for security officers, parking customers, tenants and retailers,” a summary of the report said. Forty percent of those surveyed said tenants have become more apprehensive about renting commercial space in Seattle while 65% of businesses have increased security staffing and hours.
