occidental park

Rain City Housing – Ideas for Occidental Park
raincity_benches_aotw

If the services are able to stay near Occidental for the foreseeable future, than something needs to be done on the streets where they stay (Main St., James St., Occidental Park)

a home for every person

RainCity Housing and Support Society is a grassroots organization built around compassion, purpose and a commitment to delivering progressive housing and support solutions for people living with mental illness, addictions and other challenges.

The people who benefit from the services of RainCity Housing are treated with dignity and respect, and are offered a safe place to live, independence and improved quality of life.

Since 1982, RainCity Housing has provided shelter and housing for thousands of people in the Lower Mainland. With a proven track record, a strong leadership team, and a clear vision for the future, RainCity Housing is a leader in finding workable, cost-effective solutions that ultimately benefit everyone in our community.

RainCity Housing is an independent, non-political, non-religious, charitable organization based in the Lower Mainland. Canadian Registered Charity #12711 5780 RR0001 – See more. 

Flip Flop

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“I used to live here and work in Capitol Hill.

Now I live in Capitol Hill and work here.

Go figure.”

Had a really good conversation with him about the new Starbucks education policy. Many people think it’s a four year subsidy. It is only for the 3rd and 4th year, and only one school of choice. So on a $9.5o/hr salary, there aren’t that many that can afford to get degrees after paying rent and bills.

However, given where the state of education is at, they should look into Coursera and just be done with it. It doesn’t matter where you go – it’s what you know and what you do what with you know that matters. He’s looking to get into audio-video if anyone knows of any entry level gigs.

Most Favorite Barista

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I love the business community down here, everyone’s really tight.

And, it’s tough to have compassion for the homeless here.

It’s like there are two camps; there’s the nice ones just struggling like everyone else,

and the aggressive ones that are up in your face.

Me? I’m finishing up my masters in theology.

Potential PSQ Busker? Recruit him!!!!

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PSQ needs good buskers.

I ran into Eric in the U district.  Listen to his music here. He’s amazing!

#londonplane, #delicatus, #barsajor take notice for folks like this to increase foot traffic.

 eric reid. – Latin / jazz, brazilian,classical, blues, rock

98104: Location Impacts Behavior

Last month I wrote a post on the topic of vice-districts and transition. Saturday night (3.15.2014) around 5pm an off-duty Seattle firefighter, his wife and a friend of his were harassing a homeless man in Occidental Park.

What made it to the news is here.

What didn’t make it to the news is here:

Consider:

– The Importance of Engaged Citizenship. 

Luckily for the homeless man, there was an eyewitness. His account of the incident and request for more active policing are here.

– How Easily Our Assumptions and Biases Impact What We See And Our Responses

“A homeless man was beaten and no police cars arrived. When one of the attackers was stabbed and four police cruisers, two ambulances, a fire truck and several fire department supervisor cars all arrived within minutes.”

– The Impact of De Policing

“Anyone who attends a Sounders, Seahawks or Mariners game is comforted by the large police presence. Officers are there directing traffic, coordinating and controlling the “march to the match” and as people leave the stadiums are there to keep things moving along in a safe and orderly fashion. Then where do they go? Once the games are done and the CenturyLink parking lots empty Pioneer Square becomes ignored by law enforcement until there is blood in the street.”

How Location Impacts Behavior

You don’t hear much about stabbings in Bellevue or Kirkland, Ballard, or Wallingford. Those neighborhoods have much more police attention than does Pioneer Square. This infers that there is an acceptable level of incidents we are willing to tolerate in certain parts of our city. Meaning, some people in some locations are valued higher than others.

When we visit vice districts, outrageous behavior such as yelling at complete strangers, devaluing people we deem less than ourselves, drinking too much are not just tolerated–they come to be expected. This is a lot like treating Pioneer Square like a student whose teacher has no expectations of him/her.

If a person (or a neighborhood) continues to hear they are “not good enough” or “never going to do well” — eventually that is just what will happen.

transition no6

Cameras Come Looking For Horror

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…and they’ll find it. 

Latest news from Pioneer Square from an eyewitness, and Komo News. 

Question For Komo: Why aren’t they here with cameras when something good happens?

This area is trying hard to turn around;

3 bad apples don’t make this a dangerous place.

We all make it dangerous when we play into stereotypes and assumptions.

What we need: more active policing

In Service

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“Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.”

— Chief Edward F. Croker, FDNY,
speaking upon the death of a deputy chief and
four firefighters in February of 1908

I just pass through

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“I work in The Market and cut through Occidental Park

on my way to the International district. Theres a lot of grit.

I think of Psq has having a lot of frat bars and homeless.

But you certainly made me think about it.

I know there’s a lot going on down there now.”