Ten Years After Seattle’s Declaration of a “Civil Emergency” on Homelessness, Have We Made Progress?
Ten years ago, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine signed a Proclamation of Civil Emergency and a Local Proclamation of Emergency related to homelessness.
At the time, there were 3,772 people living unsheltered in Seattle, and over 10,000 in King County. The City of Seattle’s annual investment on homeless services totaled more than $40 million, while King County’s annual investment totaled $36 million.
In the last ten years, the City of Seattle and King County have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on homeless services, with their budgets increasing dramatically. The City of Seattle alone has spent more than $1 billion in the last decade. In its 2025 budget, the City of Seattle is spending $191 million on homeless services.
Much of that money – $109 million – now goes to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which was created in 2019, and began assuming control of most homelessness program contracts in 2021.
Despite significantly increased spending, homelessness has continued to go up in Seattle and King County.
According to the most recent count in January 2024, there were 16,868 individuals experiencing homelessness in King County, a 68% increase over 2015. Seattle’s homeless population was 9,440, a 150% increase from 2015.
Deaths among people experiencing homelessness have also increased significantly in the last decade. In 2015, there were approximately 67 deaths. By 2023 (the last year for which there is data), that number had grown to 299, a 346% increase.
There are many comparisons that could be made between Seattle and similarly-sized cities regarding their respective homeless populations. But perhaps the most striking bit of data is not so much about sheer numbers, but the experience of the individuals themselves.
Among all cities, Seattle has the highest percentage of unsheltered homelessness, with over 57% of its homeless population living on the streets, compared to Philadelphia (18%) and Chicago (around 17%), and New York City (6%).
This rate is only increasing.
