By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Gov. Jay Inslee (bottom left) chatting over Microsoft Teams with community leader Matt Chan (top right) and Asian Weekly reporter Jason Cruz (bottom right corner).
Gov. Jay Inslee hopes to address one of the biggest issues in the Chinatown-International District (CID) with the help of the state legislature. His budget proposal for 2023-2025 includes a $4 billion fund to address the issue of homelessness in the state by pushing for affordable housing and shelter in Washington.
“We can’t nibble at this anymore,” Inslee stated in an interview over Microsoft Teams with the Northwest Asian Weekly. “Just moving people from one overpass to another overpass or from one park to another park doesn’t solve the problem.”
The governor was set to visit the Northwest Asian Weekly offices in person last week, but had to change his schedule after he tested positive for COVID-19. Prior to meeting with the Asian Weekly, Inslee met with community leader Matt Chan about general CID concerns. The governor noted the issues raised by community leaders regarding the impact homeless encampments have had on small businesses and residents of the area.
“Number one, the most pressing issue is homelessness and housing,” said Inslee. “We know the encampment is close to the district.” He was referring to a homeless encampment near the Dearborn exit.
“Both from a compassion standpoint for people to have to live in those conditions and also the squalor that exists is causing a huge concern for the community and we’re interested in doing everything we can to build housing and shelters at capacity so those folks could have another alternative and that camp can be removed.”
Two days after Inslee’s meeting with the Asian Weekly, Seattle Fire crews extinguished a fire at that encampment involving multiple tents. No injuries were reported.
Inslee’s budget proposal would require the state to borrow the money, similar to what it does with other capital projects, and pay it back over time.
“We have dedicated ourselves to doing that as soon as humanly possible.” Inslee added, “As you know, I have been insistent that we remove these encampments from our right of ways and we’ve had success as far as our money has gone. Essentially, we have spent all the money that we had.”
Inslee highlighted that the state has removed encampments in Dearborn and Northgate and some other locations, but made it clear that there is more work to do. “So we need the legislature to appropriate more dollars so that we can continue this work as fast as humanly possible.”
In the short term, Inslee discussed the need to think of creative solutions to the problem.
“This is a challenge because building housing takes time. But we are looking at creative solutions with this encampment.”
Inslee stated that 89 people have been removed from the encampment near Dearborn and have identified another 79 people for placement in shelters or other forms of housing. He also pointed to a 55-unit building coming in the next several months to assist and provide housing for people in this encampment.
“We need to increase the housing stock if we are to solve this problem on a permanent basis.”
In addition to speaking about the housing situation, Inslee discussed the various Asian American appointments within the state.
“We made 67 appointments to various boards and commissions. Erin Okuno is our new director of the office of education ombudsman. We feel good about bringing talent from this community.”
Inslee also said he’s glad he appointed Washington state Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.
“I think he’s done a good job, he’s looked at every opportunity for access to voting, he’s been a calming influence to the conspiracy theorists that think Donald Trump won.
“I think he’s brought a respectful non-confrontational way to create a way for access to democracy.”
While Inslee did not go out and celebrate Lunar New Year, he expressed remorse about the recent shooting in Monterey Park, California during the New Year’s celebration, which killed 10 people.
Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.