Survivors, providers tell committee Seattle-funded pilot beds and on-demand treatment helped recovery

On June 25 at the Seattle City Council Housing and Human Services Committee, Christine Moreland, executive director of The More We Love, and three program participants described how a short-term, city-funded pilot of 10 dedicated shelter beds and rapid access to detox and treatment helped them begin recovery.

The committee heard firsthand accounts from survivors who said immediate access to treatment and ongoing, recovery‑focused supports made the difference between continuing on the street and entering treatment. The testimony was offered as part of an update from The More We Love and followed the committee's earlier adoption of routine appointments.

"We are an organization that is rooted in human dignity, spiritual conviction and collaboration," Christine Moreland told the committee, describing her group's shelter, transitional housing and outreach work for people affected by exploitation, addiction, domestic violence and homelessness. Moreland said The More We Love partners with police and other outreach providers to respond quickly when people seek help.

Madison, identified at the hearing as "a survivor, confident, peer leader in recovery," said, "I was a 7 year meth addict, homeless and scared. ... I was 1 of 9 to get on the list for a full 28 day treatment paid for by Seattle City Council. All I had to do was commit." She said Lakeside Milam provided the 28-day program paid through council funding and that the program helped her become sober and reconnect with her children.

Shay described two decades of exploitation and addiction before entering treatment and credited The More We Love staff with helping her find housing and employment supports. Ashante Jeffress (presented as Ashante), another survivor speaker, told the committee she was connected to a safe hotel room and support within hours of police contacting The More We Love and that she now has almost two years clean, an apartment and custody of her son.

Committee members asked how referrals were made and whether formal agreements exist with law enforcement. Moreland said The More We Love has long personal relationships with some officers and receives calls from Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff's Department; she added there is not yet a formal, citywide contract requiring those referrals. Chair Kathy Moore said the funding package that accompanied recent legislation called for community-based organizations to be available to patrol and vice units and that a request for proposals to formalize on-call victim-advocate services is expected soon.

Vice Chair Solomon and Councilmember Danial Saka (identified in the hearing as Councilmember Saka) praised the survivors and providers for their work. Vice Chair Solomon said the speakers "are saving lives and saving trajectories," and Saka called the witnesses "warriors" and stressed that council investments should aim to produce the kinds of outcomes the survivors described.

Chair Moore also noted that the mayor's office put $2,000,000 into the budget for related services and asked the committee and Human Services Department to continue supporting recovery-based contracts. Moreland and survivors repeatedly emphasized the need for on-demand treatment and recovery-based housing after detox: several speakers said treatment must be immediately available when a person is ready to enter it, and that housing or transitional units afterward are critical to sustaining recovery.

No formal action or vote was taken on the presentation itself; Moreland and the survivors were at the committee to brief members and answer questions. Chair Moore closed by thanking the witnesses and noting the committee's next regularly scheduled meeting was moved to Aug. 13 while council leadership appoints a new chair.

Provenance: The committee read agenda item 21 into the record and took the survivor program briefing at the June 25 meeting; the presentation and discussion are recorded in the committee transcript between the item read at the start of the briefing and the committee's closing remarks after speakers left the table.