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Our region is working every day to tackle homelessness and increase the production of affordable housing.
Over last three years, the City of Seattle has made $250 million in investments in housing, bringing the City?s investment with our public and private partners to over $1.5. billion. This will create more than 4,000 new affordable homes. ?
And after years of talk, we have finally succeeded in creating one unified system that has the governance, authority, and resources to address our region?s homelessness crisis.
But we know we must do more.
This week, legislators in Olympia recognized this need and brought forward a progressive new funding tool for King County, House Bill 2907, that would enable our region to raise more money for investments in affordable housing and services for our most vulnerable residents.
 By User: Cacophony - Own work, CC BY 2.5 ? Via Wikipedia
Because of our regressive tax code, King County has limited options for new resources. This crisis demands more tools for the region outside of property and sales taxes. Many of the region?s largest businesses, with deep roots in our community, want to participate in solutions, and want to do so with a comprehensive, countywide approach to homelessness, housing, behavioral health, and public safety. I agree, and this bill is a strong step in that direction.
HB 2907?would allow King County new resources to fund four critical priorities in our region, including:?
- Affordable housing;
- Investments to tackle homelessness;
- Support for behavioral health and substance use disorder; and
- Upstream public safety and diversion solutions
We also appreciate this opportunity to bring people together. Working together with legislators, community members, philanthropy, service providers, businesses, and labor organizations, we can implement proven strategies that allow everyone in our community to thrive.
As always, please continue to write me at?[email protected], reach out via?Twitter?and?Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we?re doing for the people of Seattle on?my?blog.
 
 Standing alongside community members, public health professionals, service providers, and members of a family impacted by a fentanyl overdose, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced the City of Seattle?s new efforts to raise awareness regarding fentanyl and counterfeit pills. The City of Seattle, in partnership with community-based organizations, will convene a series of 25 naloxone trainings to distribute 700 City-purchased naloxone kits.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray that can be used to reverse an opioid-involved overdose. Investment in and distribution of naloxone kits is an overdose reversal medication that has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Medical Association.?More information is available at?stopoverdose.org.
On January 21, the Washington Department of Health announced the first case in the United States of 2019 novel coronavirus in a resident of Snohomish County, WA who had traveled to Wuhan recently. The World Health Organization has now declared a global public health emergency as it relates to novel coronavirus.
The City of Seattle, in partnership with Public Health ? Seattle & King County (PHSKC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Washington State Department of Health is closely monitoring this developing situation. At this time, the risk to the general public locally is considered to be low, given that there is only one case identified in Washington.
While some coronaviruses can be spread to others through contaminated surfaces, coronaviruses generally do not survive on surfaces for a prolonged period of time. It takes two to 14 days after a person gets the virus in their body to become ill.
For more information, visit PHSKC?s website, which is updated frequently. The CDC also has comprehensive and updated information on this virus. The Washington State Department of Health has also established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.
 Mayor Durkan joined new Seattle Police Department Community Service Officers for a neighborhood walk in Chinatown/International District this week to meet with business owners and hear from community members about their concerns. The new community service officers will help residents and businesses involved in non-criminal calls navigate services, engage with communities and neighborhoods, and support programming for at-risk youth. ?Community Service Officers reflect on Mayor Durkan and Chief Best?s promise to make Seattle a safer, more inclusive place for all.
Community Service Officers respond to and address public safety concerns that do not immediately require a police officer or other agency response. Community Service Officers do not carry weapons or enforce criminal laws but will work to bridge the gap between non-criminal service calls and a variety of public safety-related community service and outreach work throughout Seattle?s communities.
 In this week?s edition of the weekend read, we encourage you to read the Seattle Times story covering the new progressive revenue bill proposal in Olympia. This bill would enable large counties like King County the ability to impose a payroll tax on big businesses with employees who earn at least $150,000 per year:
The money raised would have to be spent on affordable housing, public-safety needs, homeless services and behavioral-health services.
State Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, who?s sponsoring the bill with Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine asked her to champion the proposal. The area needs more resources to combat homelessness, Macri said.
The bill had 11 additional co-sponsors Wednesday afternoon ? including longtime former House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle????and more could join. The state Legislature has only 43 days left in this year?s short session.
Durkan and Constantine issued a written statement Wednesday, saying the tax could raise as much as?$121 million per year.
?Our region is working every day to tackle homelessness and increase the production of affordable housing, but we know that we must do more,? they said. ?We thank legislators in Olympia for recognizing that regional need and for bringing forward a progressive new funding tool for King County ? We know more input and ideas will help make this bill better, but we cannot miss this moment to act.?
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