Seattle’s incoming mayor, Katie Wilson, will inherit a homelessness crisis that will define her ability to lead.

Seattle’s homeless population needs more than another round of aspirational promises. They need and deserve an operational reset grounded in compassion, accountability, and the courage to confront realities the city has failed to address for years.

She must replace press releases and ceremonial groundbreakings for housing that may never materialize with programs that support the homeless in reclaiming their lives from the grip of untreated mental illness, addiction, and dangerous encampments that have taken root throughout the city.

The scale of Seattle’s crisis is staggering. HUD’s 2024 Point-in-Time count identified 16,868 people struggling with homelessness in King County — 7,058 sheltered and 9,810 unsheltered — yet even this understates the emergency. It omits the thousands of K-12 students and their families couch-surfing or scraping together money for a few nights in a motel. And at the current 23% growth rate, Mayor Wilson will walk into office confronting a humanitarian emergency approaching 22,500 people.

Meanwhile, encampments proliferate, fentanyl deaths continue at historic highs, and families, businesses, and public workers bear the daily trauma of a system that is not working.

For years, Seattle has clung to the comforting illusion that more subsidized housing units alone will solve homelessness. Despite billions in public spending, housing pipelines remain clogged, construction timelines stretch into decades, and operating costs soar.

But for the majority of those living unsheltered — 78% of whom are struggling with serious mental illness or addiction — homelessness is not merely a housing shortage. It is the downstream consequence of untreated disease.

Often further complicating their illnesses is a condition called anosognosia that prevents them from recognizing their own illness. Consequently, they decline help not because they choose the street, but because their minds cannot see another path.

The mayor must change this trajectory.

If she intends to succeed where past administrations have failed, she must look to the Discovery Institute’s new report, which details exactly how cities can harness forthcoming federal reforms to drive real results. 

Her reset must include:

Prioritize transitional and treatment-based recovery models

Seattle must stop investing disproportionately in permanent supportive housing that takes years to build and rarely addresses root causes. It must instead prioritize transitional recovery housing that is staffed with clinicians, case managers, and vocational supports, and must require engagement in these services as a condition of stay.

Partner with high-performing recovery organizations

Non-profits such as We Heart Seattle and Union Gospel Mission Rescue Missions have a great track record in helping individuals transition to stability. These organizations know how to walk with people through trauma, detoxification, relapse, and rebuilding. Make these organizations central to the city’s strategy — not an afterthought.

Empower and deploy multidisciplinary “CARE+” outreach units

Combine mental health professionals, emergency responders, and trained law enforcement to intervene proactively, stabilize crises, and compel psychiatric or addiction evaluations when individuals pose clear risks to themselves or others. Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act already provides necessary tools, but they must be used more consistently and, of course, humanely.

Enforce public health and safety laws to restore order while providing pathways to treatment

In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court affirmed that Seattle can ban public camping to restore order and safety for all residents. In tandem with this effort, the city must provide the homeless with restorative programs.

Demand performance, not platitudes, at every level of the system

Seattle must instill accountability at every level of the homeless system: from the individual, to the non-profit, to the government officials responsible for the homeless system.

It must measure outcomes and provide quarterly dashboards on those outcomes and the spending required to achieve those outcomes. Housing without treatment is a revolving door. Harm reduction without recovery is slow-motion abandonment. But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Katie, you have the chance to lead Seattle into a future where compassion is not a slogan, but a force that restores people and the city they call home.

This is your moment. History will remember the mayor who chose courage over habit, transformation over stagnation. Seattle’s soul is waiting to be mended. Now is the time to lead the city there.

* * *

Michele Steeb is the founder of Free Up Foundation and author of “Answers Behind the RED DOOR: Battling the Homeless Epidemic,” based on her 13 years as CEO of Northern California’s largest program for homeless women and children. She is a Visiting Fellow with the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness Initiative. Follow them on Twitter: @SteebMichele and @DiscoveryCWP.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Even as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to deal with the fallout from former President Joe Biden’s refusal to enforce federal immigration law, officials at the Department of Homeland Security also find themselves taking on the near herculean task of debunking the fake sob stories pushed by Democrats and media outlets to make them look bad.

Kilmar Abrego-Garcia — the gang member who quickly became a Democrat darling when the Trump administration accidentally deported him to the one country it shouldn’t have — was just the tip of the iceberg. Since the large-scale deportations began, Democrats and media personalities have glommed onto the stories of any illegal aliens that tug at the heartstrings — whether or not the story is true does not appear to figure into their calculus.

On Sunday, for example, CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan went ahead with a claim that nearly half — 48% — of the illegal aliens currently being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were being held without any charges or deportation orders.

DHS swooped in with the fact-check: “WRONG. ~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have pending criminal charges or criminal convictions. Does CBS really want us to release accused murderers and rapists back on the streets? But @FacetheNation is right about one thing: our deportation operations are at a RECORD HIGH.”

WRONG. ~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have pending criminal charges or criminal convictions.

Does CBS really want us to release accused murderers and rapists back on the streets?

But @FaceTheNation is right about one thing: our deportation operations are at a RECORD HIGH. https://t.co/JFQ044rfZe

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) November 24, 2025

A Saturday post from Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) referred to federal agents as kidnappers and parroted a story about a teen taken into custody at school.

“Absolutely horrific. ICE detained and abducted a minor—a high school student—who the family identified as a US citizen. ICE is terrorizing our communities—I’m fighting for answers and accountability. This is just wrong,” he complained.

But a quick response from DHS suggested that Merkley either had not bothered to check the facts or did not care to do so.

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“Senator, you’re missing the facts. This 17-year-old used his vehicle to violently ATTACK ICE and Border Patrol agents,” the agency posted.

“Here’s a timeline of the events: On November 21, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County, Oregon were being followed for several miles by a blue Chevy Tahoe. A second vehicle, a Ford F-150 truck, showed up on the scene and colluded with the Chevy Tahoe to barricade the agents, preventing their movement and obstructing them,” the post continued. “Border Patrol called for urgent assistance from ICE officers. When ICE officers arrived, the Ford F-150 fled the area.”

“USBP and ICE officers approached the Tahoe, ordered the occupants out, and arrested the driver, identified as Isaias Eduardo Soto Elias, a 20-year-old U.S. Citizen, for impeding federal law enforcement officers. Shortly after, another team located the Ford F-150 and arrested the driver, identified as 17-year-old U.S. citizen, also for impeding federal law enforcement officers. Both individuals were transported to the ERO Portland office for further investigation and federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers,” the agency concluded.

Senator, you’re missing the facts. This 17-year-old used his vehicle to violently ATTACK ICE and Border Patrol agents. Here’s a timeline of the events:

On November 21, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County, Oregon were being followed for several miles by a blue Chevy… https://t.co/CJAt1176KM

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) November 24, 2025

Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) did not run with a specific story, but instead issued a generic post in line with his party’s rubber-stamped narrative: “I’ve prosecuted violent criminals and fought to keep them behind bars, so I know the importance of using federal resources to deport violent criminals and keep our borders strong. But randomly sweeping people up based on what they look like, including American citizens and those with no criminal records, risks leaving violent criminals at large while hurting families and the economy.”

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin fired back, however, explaining, “Firstly, @RoyCooperNC refused to turn over 1,400 violent criminal illegal aliens to ICE. On his watch, when these public safety threats and predators are released back onto Charlotte’s streets they will reoffend & create more victims. Second, illegal immigration is a crime much like trespassing. And thirdly, claiming there’s racial profiling is absurd and devoid of fact.”

Firstly, @RoyCooperNC refused to turn over 1,400 violent criminal illegal aliens to ICE.

On his watch, when these public safety threats and predators are released back onto Charlotte’s streets they will reoffend & create more victims.

Second, illegal immigration is a crime… https://t.co/qmObq2By5X

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) November 18, 2025

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) — who became a household name when he flew to El Salvador to have cocktails with gang member Abrego-Garcia — responded to the news that a nail salon owner in his state was set to be deported to Vietnam.

“Melissa Tran came here on a Green Card at age 11. She’s since raised 4 kids, started a business, & is a beloved member of the Hagerstown community,” he insisted.

McLaughlin wasn’t having it, however.

“Omitting some pesky facts, Senator. Mong Tuyen Thi Tran is a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, with criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud. An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004–over 20 years ago. ICE arrested her in May,” she posted.

Omitting some pesky facts, Senator.

Mong Tuyen Thi Tran, is a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, with criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud.

An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004–over 20 years ago. ICE… https://t.co/WyKXIyNHPQ

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) November 19, 2025

Senator Cory Booker posted another video along with the caption, “A teenager. A U.S. citizen. Detained by ICE at a courthouse. This isn’t law and order—this is intimidation. It doesn’t protect our communities; it undermines them. It violates the trust people need to safely access the justice system. It wastes law-enforcement resources that should be focused on real dangers, not innocent kids. We must condemn this and demand accountability. America is better than this.”

Once again, McLaughlin fired back: “No. This individual was never arrested or taken into custody. On November 20, Homeland Security Investigations targeted a child predator. Officers briefly questioned the individual who resembled the target.”

No. This individual was never arrested or taken into custody.

On November 20, Homeland Security Investigations targeted a child predator. Officers briefly questioned the individual who resembled the target. https://t.co/II00VnwBqE

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) November 24, 2025

The New Yorker profiled a Jamaican immigrant thusly: “Orville Etoria, a Jamaican national who’d lived in New York for nearly 50 years, was shackled and put on an ICE flight to Eswatini. ‘It helped me imagine how the slaves might have felt, going to another land in shackles and chains,’ he said.”

But as Fox News reporter Bill Melugin pointed out, “He’s a convicted murderer with a deportation order from a federal immigration judge.”

He’s a convicted murderer with a deportation order from a federal immigration judge. https://t.co/eRayIcWXsv

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) November 25, 2025

Democrats and media have certainly been keeping DHS busy debunking the fake sob stories and dismantling the false narratives — and with Trump encouraging his administration to keep up the deportations, that’s not likely to change any time soon.