Homelessness is one of Tacoma’s biggest challenges, affecting everyone in our community. It’s not humane or safe for people to live outside in the conditions many find themselves in. At the same time, unsheltered homelessness impacts neighborhoods, businesses, and public spaces, creating health and safety concerns. We need to ensure Tacoma remains a place where everyone feels safe, welcome, and connected.
Finding lasting solutions to homelessness is difficult, but I am committed to making real progress. Over the past year, we’ve helped more than 1,000 people connect to services, and nearly 300 people move into shelter or housing. Since implementing the camping ordinance in 2022, those numbers have grown to over 2,000 people connected to services, and nearly 600 people have moved into shelter or housing.
The camping ordinance, which bans encampments near city shelters and waterways, has improved environmental impacts, health, and safety in our community. While I believe the city should remove encampments because they are unsafe and inhumane, I also think we should focus enforcement on connecting people to services. Our goal is to provide help, recognizing that encampments are not places anyone should be allowed to live in.
In 2024, we continued to support our city’s emergency shelters, including one on 6th and Orchard (right by my house) that supports women, children, and families. I’ve supported this shelter since the beginning because it provides a safe and stable environment for people to begin rebuilding their lives. But shelters alone aren’t enough. People need access to permanent housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, job training, and other resources to truly move forward.
Homelessness also requires addressing its root causes. That’s why I have focused on expanding housing options by leading the Home in Tacoma initiative, which creates more housing options, and continuing our investments in affordable and permanent supportive housing through the city’s housing trust fund. Increasing the supply of housing people can afford can help prevent homelessness before it begins.
This isn’t just Tacoma’s challenge—it’s a regional issue. I’ve served on the Pierce County Select Committee on Homelessness to collaborate with other cities and counties, been part of the conversations and planning for a regional approach to homelessness, and advocated at the state level for funding and policies to support shelters and affordable housing.
If elected mayor, I will focus on:
- Expanding Affordable and Supportive Housing: I will continue prioritizing investments from Tacoma’s Housing Trust Fund to build more affordable housing and permanent supportive housing options throughout our city. These housing types are critical to reducing homelessness and creating long-term stability for individuals and families.
- Improving Access to Treatment: I will work with state and regional partners to expand access to substance use disorder treatment and ensure greater availability of mental health services. Providing comprehensive care is key to addressing the needs of people living on our streets and helping them transition into stable housing.
- Encouraging Innovation in Homelessness Solutions: I want to explore new, innovative approaches to homelessness. This includes creating a grant program to fund creative ideas and pilot projects for housing and services, streamlining systems to move people into housing more efficiently, and supporting smaller, flexible housing models to address gaps in our current system.
I understand the frustration many feel with how slowly progress is happening, and I share that frustration. No one is happy with the status quo. However, I’m committed to continuing the hard work. We need real solutions addressing the deeper problems, including our community’s health and safety issues.
Homelessness affects everyone, and we must find the right balance. We need to help people experiencing homelessness get the support they need while protecting the health, safety, and quality of life for everyone in Tacoma. I believe we can treat everyone with dignity and respect while building a community that works for all of us.
