Office of Jani Hitchen, Pierce County Council, District 6 announcement.
You might have heard that the Council will be looking at adopting the 1/10th of 1% sales tax to provide supports for residents in Pierce County needing help with housing and homelessness. This tax, which would only cost the average taxpayer an additional $16/year would generate ~$20M annually in desperately needed funding to address our affordable housing crisis. I helped sponsor this legislation and wanted to share my thoughts.
One of the many reasons we have increasing homelessness is the sheer lack of affordable units, both houses and shared units like duplexes and apartments. We funded a study last year to really see where we are as a county, and it was stated that we are short a predicted 137,000 units of housing for our current and proposed 20 year growth. More than half of those need to be affordable units. These are units for first time homeowners, seniors on fixed incomes and people that work low wage jobs or cannot work. “The Market” can’t even keep up with the number of average income homes needed, so they will not build at the lower end without incentives. Right now, we completely depend on state and federal dollars to do that work, and both are starting to look to us for solutions. We must contribute or the problem will continue to grow.
The second thought is around our homeless supports. Presently we spend millions through un-paid emergency room bills, emergency response and transportation, jail costs, behavioral health and criminal justice services to manage people that cycle through our broken system. We can do better if we have a place for them to go so that we can determine their needs and get them help.
You can follow this legislation Ordinance 2022-81 and find out when it will be heard in committee, be before the full Council and the processes to engage. There is also a sign-on letter if you believe this is something we should enact in our county. We need all the possible tools available to us so we can meet the growing lack of housing, especially affordable and supportive housing in Pierce County.
Jani, I support this tiny tax even though it is regressive. (Taxes the poor and rich).
Would you help us (the citizens) find a good spot for the Community First Village?
Many members of the the Chambers-Clover Cr. Watershed Council want to help the County Exec create the village for our less fortunate citizens.
Let’s have a discussuon. I’ll call your assistant. Thanks.
Enabling these people is not the answer! I manage several commercial properties in the Lincoln District. The last four years I have watched in horror the property damage and mayhem they cause. I live here I know these criminals they need to be taken off the streets, think institutions! I listen to all the do gooders wring their hands, where do they live? Nor point, North End, Fircrest, University Place!
This is disgusting the council has lied uses this as a way to tax us! All the money goes to the ADDICTS under the guise of homelessness! If you want your homelessness/addict problems to go away MAKE DRUGS ILLEGAL AGAIN! THE COUNCIL, ELECTED OFFICALS CREATED THIS! TAKE IT OUT OF THE COUNCIL POCKET NOT THE TAX PAYERS POCKETS! No to tiny villages, no to anymore taxes! It’s BS
Just another “tiny” 1/10th of 1% increase in the sales tax…..on top of just another “tiny” 1/10th of 1% increase in the sales tax beginning in 2021 to support mental health…..and how many other “tiny” tax increases before that?
I testified at a Pierce County Council meeting on that mental health tax increase in 2020(?) in opposition because it was not specific about what it was to be spent on or definable objective goals sought. Indeed the vast majority of people testifying were in favor of the “tiny” tax increase. Coincidentally these same people represented mental health companies there for a government handout. Whether it would actually help the mentally ill (especially the homeless) was a moot point. Government started collecting the tax in 2021.
I have to wonder about this time around. Shouldn’t we have seen a reduction in homelessness as the result of mental health interventions? How does reducing barriers in the private sector to spur affordable housing construction require an increase in the sales tax to fund government? I thought it would have saved money rather than necessitated a “tiny” tax increase! Is government now planning to go into the home construction business and if so to what extent will $20M annually solve the problem: it won’t.
Yet another “feel good” “tiny” tax increase added to all the other “tiny” tax increases (Pierce/Sound transit, 911 building, etc.) with little or nothing to show for it. Government is never satisfied: they will always find a reason for you to dig deeper in YOUR pocket. Death by 1000 cuts fiscally. Millions in surpluses yet we “need” another “tiny” tax increase.
“A billion (million) here and a billion (million) there and pretty soon you are talking about real money.” Senator Everett Dirkson
Those who want to help solve the homelessness problem should consider contributing to Network Tacoma. We help homeless families with children. Our success rate in moving them from homelessness back into the job market and a stable existence is approximately 80%.
https://www.networktacoma.org/
Network has been doing this for over 30 years.
The last people you want to give more money to are the people who have failed all the way to this miserable point.