Councilmember Licata: City Budget Increases Funding for Homeless in Response to Federal Cutbacks

SEATTLE – November 25, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Councilmember Nick Licata, chair of the Budget Committee, released the following statement after the Budget Committee sent a 2016 Budget to the Full Council:

“These figures place in stark relief the impact of years of the federal government’s retreat. The needs have not gone away–they have simply been shifted onto cities. Mayor Murray’s declaration of a homeless emergency, and the emergency declared in Portland, have been building for years. Cities cannot solve this emergency alone: federal assistance is needed.

“I believe that when more people have a chance to reach their full potential and enough economic security to make investments in their future, the benefits ripple throughout communities. The budget the Budget Committee approved today invests in those basic needs such as safety, stability and health. However, cities cannot do this alone; we need the federal government to contribute.”

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