‘Seattle is Dying’ follow-up attracts harsh criticism from native homeless advocates

An advocate for affordable housing in Seattle. (KIRO radio)

In 2019, KOMO produced a documentary titled “Seattle is Dying,” which set out a narrative that argued that an escalating homeless crisis was responsible for the downfall of the city’s downtown area. The network released a sequel called “Fight for the Soul of Seattle” in December, and the groups criticized in this segment are already voicing their views.

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In the new 90-minute follow-up to KOMO, the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) – a local non-profit organization for homelessness – is described as “the greatest strain on police resources in the city of Seattle.”

The organization released a detailed statement on the allegation on Monday, claiming that the documentary “brings together and simplifies complex issues, misrepresents DESC’s mission, and ignores our successful track record and supports some of the city’s most vulnerable and marginalized people “.

According to DESC, the nonprofit was not asked for an explanation despite being featured prominently.

“We have in-depth expertise on these topics and would have provided details about our work and pointed to decades of research on tried and tested measures to combat homelessness, drug addiction and other behavioral disorders,” said the DESC’s statement.

Several other prominent groups working with the homeless in Seattle and the US also responded to the KOMO documentary in the form of a joint letter written by the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the Lived Experience project Coalition, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and others.

The letter labeled “Fight for the Soul of Seattle” as “Propaganda from.” [KOMO parent company] Sinclair, the global right-wing media group dedicated to sowing and promoting marginal arguments. “

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“There is no ‘struggle’ for the soul of anything, except perhaps for a nation that has allowed its housing market to spiral out of control and a lack of leadership willing to deal with it,” reads in the letter.

The documentary’s own arguments on homelessness revolve around stricter enforcement of drug addiction and “the devastating decisions Seattle entrepreneurs must make as their savings and dreams are destroyed by theft, vandalism and a dwindling customer base.”

“This documentary also explores possible bold solutions to treat the people living on the street and connect them to agencies and support that can provide a clear path away from the endless circle of addiction and crime,” describes KOMO’s article, who accompanies the piece.