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King County Council member says homelessness and juvenile crime are rising as county faces $150M shortfall
Summary
King County Council member Reagan Dunn told Renton officials the county is seeing sharp increases in unsheltered homelessness and juvenile crime while the executive—s proposed budget shows roughly $150 million in shortfalls and deep cuts to public-safety related budgets.
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn told the Renton City Council on March 3 that homelessness has surged in the county and juvenile crime is increasing, even as the county faces an estimated $150 million general-fund shortfall for the next biennium and proposed cuts to law-enforcement and court budgets.
Dunn, who represents District 9 on the King County Council and chairs the King County board of supervisors for the Flood Control District, said his office—s recent survey of about 2,000 residents showed reducing crime and improving public safety as the top priority, and that homelessness and behavioral-health concerns figure highly on constituents— lists.
"We are just way, way off the charts" on increases in chronic homelessness and unsheltered individuals, Dunn said, adding that county strategies to date "aren—t working." He told the council the county lost about 1,339 people to overdose in…
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