Kshama Sawant: ‘These are human beings who have to exist somewhere’



SEATTLE -- Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant weighed in on the city’s homeless crisis Wednesday in an interview with Q13 News.

Sawant said she would like the city to put aside $10 million in emergency funding to help deal with the issue. The councilwoman also blasted “sweeps” of homeless camps, saying tents cannot be moved out of “The Jungle,” a notorious encampment underneath Interstate 5, without somewhere to house those who are displaced.

“These are human beings who have to exist somewhere, so they’re going to go to another location, so really we need an actual solution,” she said.  “Sweeps are not the solution. We need real money to address homelessness.”

City and state officials on Wednesday are expected to release a report examining health and safety inside “The Jungle,” the scene of a deadly shooting last month. Mayor Ed Murray, who has said he would like to see the camp closed at some point, will look to the report in outlining a path forward.