Commissioners report takeaways from Northstar seminar on homelessness

Two commissioners who attended a Northstar seminar reported back to the Planning Commission Sept. 10 on a presentation by University of Washington researcher Greg Colburn and others that examined causes of homelessness and policy responses.

Commissioner Mills described the keynote and book, saying he found the presentation “enlightening” and recommended the Northstar seminars to fellow commissioners. Mills identified the book discussed as Homelessness Is a Housing Problem by Greg Colburn and said the seminar featured correlational data linking housing factors to homelessness.

Another commissioner said the presentation used correlational data extensively and that the speaker drew causal conclusions from those correlations; the commissioner said the talk nonetheless expanded perspective and was useful background for the commission’s housing work.

Why it matters: commissioners are engaged with regional research and seminars on homelessness and housing policy as the commission considers housing regulatory amendments that implement the city’s Housing Action Plan and comprehensive plan updates.

Next steps: no formal action; commissioners encouraged colleagues to attend future Northstar events and staff noted there were no city actions to report since the last meeting.