According to Applied Survey Research, Seattle, Washington and surrounding King County, at their last count, had a homeless population of 11,643. Of this population of homeless, 6,158 are living in emergency shelters, transitional housing or safe havens, while 5,485 are living on the street, in abandon buildings, in vehicles or in tents. Seattle recently had a homeless camp set up at an underpass beneath Highway 99, until authorities came and drove the street sleepers out. The city of Seattle then quickly set up bike racks in their place so the homeless could not return to set up more camps. One resident filed a public disclosure request from the Seattle Department of Transportation. Emails between civil engineers and city officials reveal …show more content…
These small ridges also make the benches uncomfortable for the homeless who would otherwise use them as an improvised …show more content…
Whites and Asians are the only two demographics in Seattle who are underrepresented in the homeless population. While the Seattle/King County population is only six percent Black, Blacks represent 29 percent of the homeless population. Nine percent of the population in Seattle is Hispanic, yet they make up 14 percent of the homeless. Those of multiple races make up six percent of Seattle’s population but consist of 14 percent of the homeless population. American Indian and Alaska Natives account for six percent of the homeless population despite only being one percent of Seattle’s population. While many people find the measures cities are taking to make the homeless less comfortable in public spaces to be unpalatable, others see it as creative, such as the co-editor of Unpleasant Design, Salena Savic, who said, “There is always an appearance of service or beauty, which is secondary to function.” Savic continued, “Unpleasant design removes the need for human surveillance and intervention. I haven’t heard of bike racks before, but the Seattle example fits