UPDATE: Mayor Katie Wilson’s first executive orders, including one on homelessness

| Safety | West Seattle news

12:25 PM: Mayor Katie Wilson has announced her first two executive orders. One is regarding homelessness. Here’s how the city announcement summarizes it:

Mayor Wilson is ordering immediate action to bring people inside by expediting the expansion of shelter and affordable housing.

Her executive order to accelerate the expansion of emergency shelter and affordable housing will:

-Rapidly expand and expedite the provision of new shelter and affordable housing by immediately launching an interdepartmental team to identify options for financial incentives, permitting changes, and other policy changes.

-Identify and prioritize city-owned public land and other public lands which could be used to temporarily or permanently site new emergency shelter and housing.

-Coordinate with regional partners to identify shelter programs that have capacity to add units to existing programs.

-Identify best practices working with organizations with expertise in behavioral health to support substance use disorder treatment and mental health counseling for housing and shelter programs.

You can see the actual order text here. We’re asking some followup questions, including the timeline. The other executive order involves a bus lane on Denny Way downtown; read that order here.

ADDED 3:28 PM: We received answers to our followup questions via mayoral spokesperson Sage Wilson.

-We asked about a timeline – “rapid” could mean many things. His reply: “The literal reality of ‘rapidly’ is one of the early outcomes of the EO – need to hear from the departments what is possible. The mayor is determined to move quickly, however, and spoke today about FIFA this spring as a time to take stock. (Her full remarks are available on Seattle Channel.)”

-We also asked if encampment resolutions (sweeps) were being suspended until more shelter is available. The reply: “Resolutions of encampments are not suspended and the Unified Care Team certainly still exists and is still at work. For example, I believe an RV site near the stadiums was just cleared recently. The mayor is assessing how we can do better than the current procedures, and her visit in Ballard yesterday was part of that to really see for herself. But resolutions are continuing to proceed – city reporting shows 101 resolutions of encampments & RV sites since 1/4. And as the mayor said in her statement yesterday, clearing encampments and managing public space will continue to be part of the city’s approach.”

One question Wilson is checking on further – and we’ll add the answer when it arrives – is whether private shelters like the one in West Seattle have a role in the planned pursuit of more space.

ADDED 3:41 PM: The answer to that: “Yes, expanding privately operated shelters is one strategy that would help meet the goals in the Executive Order on expanding shelter.”

Lucy January 15, 2026 (12:37 pm)

I wonder how long it will be before Mayor Katie orders us to offer any extra bedrooms to the homeless.

Seth January 15, 2026 (1:02 pm)

Lucy curious to hear your alternatives to getting homeless people houses. You dont want them in the street do you? Whats your plan then?
- Carson January 15, 2026 (1:32 pm)
  
  Every. Single. Homeless. Person. Has. Been . Offered . Housing . Dozens. Of. Times. Its not a housing issue, it’s a mental health issue/ addiction issue. Allowing people to continue to live like that is inhumane and when you allow street camping that’s what you are doing.
  - SoLongDelridge January 15, 2026 (2:27 pm)
    
    Source? What’s that? You made it up!?
    - Carson January 15, 2026 (7:31 pm)
      
      Every single week multiple agencies, city and county are there offering assistance. Every single week multiple non profits and religious organizations are there doing the same. Don’t believe me? Visit an encampment for a few hours.
    - Jake January 20, 2026 (11:27 am)
      
      Carson, where’s your proof of this? One encampment was swept up near Greenwood with zero presence outside of SPD. Prove what you say.
  - Is there any hope? January 15, 2026 (3:53 pm)
    
    I agree. The “we need more affordable housing” to address homelessness is getting old. The billions spent already haven’t seemed to make a dent in the crisis. Many are homelessness because of mental health disorders and/or drug addition. The little boy living in a tent on Aurora with his druggie dad and prostitute mom is a recent example – the woman was offered housing for herself and her son and the druggie dad declined. Figuring out how to address situations like this should be priority one.
    - Mickymse January 16, 2026 (8:41 am)
      
      The data is really clear on this. The leading cause of homelessness is the inability to afford housing. Seriously. Mental health and addiction is a very prominent but definitely low level concern among this population. It’s just easy to identify the person passed out on the sidewalk. As for the housing on offer, if it doesn’t meet your needs, then why would you take it? It’s really not rocket science. We have a homelessness problem in Seattle because we have an affordability problem in Seattle. And we don’t have enough affordable housing because everyone says they support more housing built but they just want it built in another neighborhood or only for people who look and act like they do.
    - Backwards January 17, 2026 (5:31 pm)
      
      Your logic is backwards. The homeless that most people are talking about are the ones on the streets doing drugs and committing crimes. These people can’t afford housing because they don’t have a job, and they don’t have a job because they are addicts or have mental health issues. And to answer your second question, what reason other than not allowing pets or drugs would “not meet their needs”? Their needs are that they need to not live in a pile of trash on the sidewalk. Not exactly in a position to be picky.
  - TMJ January 15, 2026 (4:19 pm)
    
    That’s quite a claim. We need massive federal funds to open affordable housing. Let’s see what Mayor Wilson does.
  - Data guy January 15, 2026 (5:08 pm)
    
    Wrong Carson.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6I_QByhhqA&t=1882s
    
    I can give you dozens of other sources and data. You can also ask chatGPT “what is the root cause to homelessness” if you’re pressed for time
  - 1994 January 15, 2026 (11:07 pm)
    
    Park and greenbelt camping too! Roxhill Park near the south edge that meets Roxhill School field has 2-3 camping sites. I reported those to the city but appears nothing has been done to move them out of the park. Carson is right – tax payers spend hundreds of millions of dollars for the ongoing homeless crisis but the tents keep appearing.
  - Kiki January 28, 2026 (2:52 pm)
    
    You are absolutley correct, Carson. It is a mental health and addiction crisis. As much as we would all love to see everyone in a decent home, many do not want conventional housing because they cannot or will not abide by the rules. You can build all the tiny homes and trailer spaces you want. It isn’t going to change the root issue. They are a society among themselves. My husband had a street ministry and volunteered at the mission every week for 10 years. He sat with these individuals on the street and ate with them at the missions. He had very personal conversations with many of them and they knew and trusted him. So many of them have tragic stories that lead them to the life they are living now. They need mental health and drug & alcohol intervention but many do not want it. Unfortunately many need to be institutionalized because they are sadly so far gone mentally.
Jenn January 15, 2026 (1:03 pm)

At least, she’s trying. Why not wait and see and hope she’s able to help instead of replying with an absurd comment. No one is going to force you to offer up your bedroom(s). You know that.
- my two cents January 15, 2026 (7:06 pm)
  
  Jenn – It reads like a campaign promise – just like Harrell promising 2,000 units or like Dear Leader promising 10% interest limit. No mention of “how” these will achieved. The follow-up later in the afternoon provided how much detail? I ‘believe’ action was taken? Large part of the Wilson messaging and campaigning focused on homelessness and housing costs. One would think that more concrete ideas would have communicated – instead we get aspirational PR statements. Political affiliation doesn’t enter this, just a rinse and repeat.
Amy January 15, 2026 (1:09 pm)

Lucy, so opening up more shelter space is a negative to you?
Lauren January 15, 2026 (1:29 pm)

Something I’ve noticed with female politician. People always refer to them by their first name. Would you say “Mayor Bruce”? This is subtle but persistent and ingrained misogyny.
- Mike January 15, 2026 (4:17 pm)
  
  I’ve literally referred to him as Mayor Bruce, every time. As did everyone I know.
  - Neighbor January 17, 2026 (9:05 pm)
    
    I refer to them as current. 🤡 and former 🤡. At least he helped clean up the city after Covid. Hoping for the best but expecting the worst.N
Jo January 15, 2026 (2:10 pm)

Why being so passive aggressive, you know that’s not gonna happen. You should just give her time to work out the solution. Try to be open minded, please for once
Lagartija Nick January 15, 2026 (4:58 pm)

The answer to your incredibly inane question is NEVER. The city will NEVER ask/force residents to house the homeless. Sheesh, what is it with you guys making up scenarios to get mad about? It’s incredibly exhausting.
- anonyme January 16, 2026 (9:16 am)
  
  Do you really not understand hyperbole or sarcasm, or are you the one making up scenarios to get mad about? No wonder you’re exhausted.

k January 15, 2026 (12:52 pm)

This is sorely needed. The city only has ~2500 shelter beds for nearly 20,000 homeless people, and most of those are temporary, putting people back out on the streets the following morning.

Also, diving in to try to fix the notorious route 8 bus is definitely a quick way to improve the commutes of a LOT of people.

my two cents January 15, 2026 (7:10 pm)

WIll push back on Route 8 – King County Metro is the responsible agency.
- K January 16, 2026 (5:50 am)
  
  The city committed to that bus lane a long time ago, Harrell stopped it. Wilson is keeping the city’s promise to Metro so Metro can keep its commitment to riders. Both entities are involved.

FedUp January 15, 2026 (1:06 pm)

And what about those who simply don’t want help or don’t want to live in a shelter? What’s the plan then? Not everyone wants to be “fixed”.

Rhonda January 15, 2026 (1:32 pm)

So, she’s already making it far more difficult for people to drive downtown, which will further erode any meaningful recovery of downtown’s fragile and crumbling economy. Anyone who has ever driven Denny Way to commute knows what a nightmare it would be with an entire travel lane taken away. Unbelievable foolishness.

Feet January 15, 2026 (4:27 pm)

What I know is it’s already a nightmare to drive downtown. I’d love for it to be easier to get there without driving.
Avalonian January 16, 2026 (6:48 am)

Exactly. It IS a nightmare to drive at times.Here is an offer of a different perspective.The 8 sits in that same traffic, rendering that bus route pointless in parts of the stretch. You can literally walk faster. (Watch videos on fixing the L8te. The community that lives there is over this problem!).That route connects people in LQA to SLU, The Hill, Central District, and vice versa… Getting that moving also keeps people out of cars.Being able to ride the C to the 8 more reliably for arena events would be a win for west seattlites, too. IMO, Westlake is a much safer place to wait for a transfer late at night after an event.I do question if she will hit road blocks, but I will be thrilled if she can pull it off.

North Admiral Cyclist January 15, 2026 (1:59 pm)

I thought all of these ideas had been tried before in the past.

anonyme January 16, 2026 (9:23 am)

Exactly. Worked brilliantly, right?

Not_really_jaded January 15, 2026 (2:14 pm)

Didn’t we pass a levy for this just a couple of years ago?

flimflam January 15, 2026 (2:58 pm)

We also had a “10 year plan to END homelessness” like 15+ years ago….

Pedro_the_Lion January 15, 2026 (2:56 pm)

This is not a bad proposal SO LONG AS the shelter and housing include certain mandatory provisions. No drugs or alcohol. Mental health counseling and assessment. Yes – I understand some will reject the offer because of that. In which case, they need to move along. No barrier does not work. No barrier means we get housing like we’ve already tried that has become so toxic (literally) it has to be condemned. It’s common sense.

WS Res January 15, 2026 (6:10 pm)

“Move along” to where? Asserting that “no barrier does not work” is contradictory to every bit of published research on public health.
k January 15, 2026 (7:26 pm)

Having EVERY person looking for an indoor place to sleep get a mental health screening would be incredibly labor-intensive and a logistical nightmare. How do you log the results for people who don’t have IDs? Who is in charge of managing the results? Where do the referrals go? What if someone can’t afford their copay or has no insurance to pay for the mental health services they’re referred to? Did the taxpayers just fund a 3-hour assessment for nothing? How many people escaping domestic violence are going to hear their abuser’s voice in their ear telling them they’re crazy when they’re immediately directed to a mental health screening after seeking help at a shelter?

Should addicts in recovery who are on Methadone be allowed to stay in your perfect shelter system? What about a laborer who has been prescribed oxycodone to manage pain from his on-the-job injury? Should we turn someone away whose friends bought her a few drinks for her birthday? Who decides where the line is between acceptable or necessary use and addiction? Will we also be requiring expensive and resource-intensive addiction screenings in addition to the 3-hour mental health evaluation everyone gets every time they need a place to sleep for the night?

k January 15, 2026 (2:58 pm)

Harrell has been raiding funds for the homeless to prop up the general fund and pay for things like his $185,000 personal gym at city hall.

Justin January 15, 2026 (3:12 pm)

In Bruce’s defense, he had/has a great body for his age.

wscommuter January 15, 2026 (3:42 pm)

Although I did not vote for her, I wish her/the City success in improving the situation with the homeless. I support raising taxes on me to help pay for more shelter; clearly we don’t have enough. My fear is that we remain mired in the two polar camps – those who want more enforcement and those who want more services. My own view is that both are necessary. The “steps” identified from the mayor above are nothing new – these have all been pursued before. Maybe this time will be different, but I fear this is just more policy-level wheel spinning, unless and until we start actually buying/building little houses to at least get people out of tents and RV’s while we work on the more long-term solution of buying/building more permanent housing. But in my view, we have to maintain enforcement as well. The encampments are bad for everyone, including the homeless.

Frog January 15, 2026 (5:28 pm)

Like, whatever. An executive order to identify this, and identify that is mostly just talk plus patronage employment. Did they check at the end of the rainbow? Everything they are looking for is there, if they would just identify the spot where the rainbow ends. Perhaps we need another order instructing city bureaucrats to identify best practices in locating the end of rainbows. Meanwhile, the policy sees to be just letting anyone camp where they want and do whatever they want, whether or not it’s legal.
- my two cents January 15, 2026 (7:16 pm)
  
  I could NEVER see a situation where an external consultant with old ties to insert-current-administration would be brought on by insert-current-administration to develop strategic planning documents with sub-contracts going out for assistance and support with “community outreach” and vision statement development. Nope, NEVER would happen.

Scarlett January 15, 2026 (4:34 pm)

Living in a shelter or othe public institution for extended periods may make a homeless individual ineligible, or partially ineligbile, for Social Security Supplemental Income benefits. I’m assuming that many of the older homeless are on some sort of assistance, SSDI or SSI, and this may play a factor in them not taking offers of shelter.

anonyme January 16, 2026 (9:21 am)

Interesting and valid point, Scarlett. This would also include those on SSDI due to a physical or mental disability. I do think that there is a large demographic that refuses shelter due to ‘lifestyle’ choices, but your observation is one I hadn’t considered before.

M January 15, 2026 (4:57 pm)

Can’t she just read all the previous studies on homeless solutions we’ve paid for. Why do we need to hire another team to investigate “best practices” in dealing with substance abuse. Again, it’s all fluff and talk with zero actual action or accountability.

Jethro Marx January 15, 2026 (5:32 pm)

Our comment section here is Seattle Process in real time: we’re talking about multiple previous mayors and their failings even though they are not involved, we’re tossing out layman’s assessments of the best treatment of mental illness/addiction like they’re relevant, throwing in accusations of discriminatory/unacceptable language, and generally filling a bingo card of nonsense, from “tiny house villages” to the war on cars.

And some of you worried that Katie Wilson wasn’t ready for the office but this should reassure you: “interdepartmental team to identify options”
This is pro level Seattle Mayor language.

Anne January 15, 2026 (6:05 pm)

-Identify and prioritize city-owned public land and other public lands which could be used to temporarily or permanently site new emergency shelter and housing. So is this another way of saying they’ll allow tents in parks?

Admiral2009 January 15, 2026 (6:09 pm)

Looking on online data Seattle has the 4th highest homeless population of City’s in the USA. Why is this? It’s past time to make people accountable, take offered services or move elsewhere.

k January 15, 2026 (7:32 pm)

Because Seattle is among the most unaffordable cities in America? The three ahead of us in homeless populations are also at the top of the list of unaffordable cities. Pretty clear cause and effect.

DemandCurve January 15, 2026 (6:38 pm)

More fodder for developers to skirt zoning and more apartment buildings with no parking garages coming to a crowded neighborhood near you.

anonyme January 16, 2026 (9:35 am)

Yup, and don’t leave out cheap, ugly, unsustainable and poorly managed. It seems more logical to convert all that unused office space downtown and elsewhere to apartments or some kind of new urban communal living spaces, rather than destroying neighborhoods. Little or no parking needed.

Rcl January 15, 2026 (7:24 pm)

Land of the free, home of the brave….We all have to be brave to fix this …. It takes more than government.

Clinker January 15, 2026 (9:29 pm)

As long as the city gives tacit permission to deal highly addictive cheap drugs on the street, the addicted population will continue to grow. It’s so damn sad to watch this happen every day and no police are to be found.

RD January 16, 2026 (6:41 am)

Wilson and team should work to get drugs out of Seattle that’s a big part of the problem. This hand holding she does doesn’t help anyone. I’m tired of hearing about the homeless-let’s do something different and get drugs out of Seattle.

WestSide 4 life January 17, 2026 (8:53 am)

I wish her the best but IMO this issue will never be solved. Similar to most other big cities in US the decades long struggle to fix the homelessness has not succeeded and is getting worse. No matter how much money we spend it’s never enough. We have raised the minimum wage, escalated taxes and still here we sit with limited success. My hope is we prioritize the families ( children ) and those who want help. Otherwise make it more difficult to be homeless for the ones who decide its easier not being a contributing member of society. No camping, no open drug use and our judicial system arrest and prosecute homeless criminals. Currently we have no balance. Way more carrot than stick.

Just an idea January 20, 2026 (10:46 am)

It sure would be great if the multi-billion $ companies in the area set up funds for mental health. They are the reason housing is unaffordable. Throwing a house at someone who cannot emotionally or mentally sustain a home is not the answer. Imagine if Microsoft, Amazon, TMobile, etc all opened mental health facilities free of charge. That is what is needed to end homelessness.

Erin January 21, 2026 (9:43 am)

Many of the people living on the street with mental problems, addictions, and unaddressed baseline needs have experienced a severance of family care. Every one of these people was somebody’s son or daughter, was part of a family that could not handle whatever they were going through and in effect left them to fend for themselves which clearly isn’t working. This is a problem that we need to face as a community. We need to practice caring for each other again. Stable housing offers someone a safe place to rest, to eat, to regain control. While it is not the only facet of this problem- it is a huge one and I’m glad Mayor Wilson is trying even if she will get blocked every step of the way. Someone earlier suggested that some of the gigantic corporations in Seattle like Microsoft and Amazon offer some sort of funds to build and maintain mental health facilities for these people. It wouldn’t hurt to leverage the wealth these companies have for the people that have been displaced by their presence.

Sorry, comment time is over.