Compassion Seattle initiative qualifies for ballot: Will it change the downtown business outlook?

Tents line a street in downtown Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / John Cook)

As downtown Seattle tech companies roll out plans to move back to offices that have been vacant for more than a year, a change in the way some of these companies experience downtown may be emerging.

Supporters announced on Wednesday that the Compassion Seattle poll has qualified for the November election. It is sparking a likely battle over how a progressive city is dealing with a chronic homeless crisis, trying to keep residents and business leaders happy while improving the lives of the thousands of people who are not housed.

“Charter Amendment 29 has widespread support in Seattle and the Seattle business community,” said Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association. “We expect interest in supporting this campaign will grow after we qualify for the November election as Seattle residents see a homeless emergency that has not been resolved and is only getting worse.”

If the voting move is approved by Seattle voters – internal polls of its supporters are designed to show it still has strong support among respondents – the change essentially bypasses the city council, adding confusing benchmarks and responsibilities to Seattle’s sometimes for the first time , competitive and decentralized range of homeless services and programs.

Most controversially, the Charter amendment would require the city to “keep parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces, and sidewalks and streets clear of camps” once the mandatory housing, drug and mental health services are in place.

It is this section that critics say criminalizes homelessness, while proponents argue that it is the first time the city is active in the tent clusters in neighborhoods like downtown Seattle, which is currently home to an estimated 2,000 homeless people.

“(Voters) want an accountable, compassionate plan to bring people in and on the path to stability and to open up our parks and public spaces. This is what the amendment to Charter 29 provides, ”added Scholes.

The measure also requires Seattle to provide access to behavioral health programs in addition to housing. Accommodation within the meaning of the Charter Amendment could include “upgraded accommodation, tiny houses, hotel-motel rooms, other forms of non-shared emergency accommodation or permanent accommodation”. For example, under the proposed changes, the city would be legally required to provide an additional 2,000 emergency and permanent housing within one year of the start date of the change in January 2022.

In a recent GeekWire Civic Conversation on Compassion Seattle, Kieran Snyder, Co-Founder and CEO of Textio and winner of the 2021 GeekWire Awards for CEO of the Year, said that as a pre-pandemic business owner, she is the part of the initiative she believes is compelling , the expansion of services that do not involve law enforcement.

“The idea of ​​investing in housing and care services that are independent of law enforcement is what makes it all [Compassion Seattle] a promising range of solutions, ”she said. Snyder said local businesses should also find a way to pay for additional housing and services.

But some have said that any effort is too little, too late. Seattle startup Ad Lightning, for example, canceled its lease in downtown Seattle last year and has no plans to return.

“What I’ve particularly noticed over the past five to ten years is an attitude in Seattle that I would describe as anti-business and anti-job, and that has certainly accelerated in recent years,” says Ad Lightning. Founder Scott Moore said on a recent GeekWire podcast. “And it’s unfortunate.”

Other companies plan to return to the city center regardless of the success of the measure.

In June, Geekwire emailed a handful of tech company executives about their plans to return to the downtown Seattle office. Some companies remain loyal to downtown Seattle and look forward to returning and being part of the revitalization process.

Karen Clark Cole, CEO of UX company Blink, said she had 80 employees downtown before the pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, that number dropped to four. But by September, she estimated, the company could have 10% of its workforce back in the office.

“We didn’t think about moving or downsizing our office,” she said. “[Blink] will gradually demand that people come to collaboration meetings, team meetings, and customer meetings. “

In addition, the company plans to expand its workforce in the city center. “We grew (only about 4%) in 2021 and will continue to grow,” she said, adding that Blink must have everyone in the office vaccinated. “More people will be assigned to the downtown Seattle office, but most of the people will be part-time so they won’t all be there at the same time.”