Summary

Following shocking reports of dozens of people living in King County homelessness facilities dying of overdose while receiving shelter and care, King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn on Tuesday introduced a motion requesting the county to report on all overdoses, fatal and non-fatal, that occur within shelters that are owned, operated, or funded by King County.

Story

Following shocking reports of dozens of people living in King County homelessness facilities dying of overdose while receiving shelter and care,  King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn on Tuesday introduced a motion requesting the county to report on all overdoses, fatal and non-fatal, that occur within shelters that are owned, operated, or funded by King County.

The motion also requests a study of the feasibility of integrating this data on overdoses into Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Overdose Dashboard and requests recommendations on ways to curb overdose deaths in County facilities, such as by providing more sober living options for the homeless.

“The rising rate of people experiencing homelessness who are dying of overdose while living in King County is very alarming and raises important questions of how these deaths are occurring and what more can be done to intervene,” Dunn said. “This legislation is an opportunity to increase transparency for taxpayers and a first step toward seeking ways to stop these deaths from occurring.”

The Seattle Times highlighted that in 2022, 179 people living within permanent supportive housing, income-restricted units, transitional housing, and recovery housing in King County died due to overdoses. Overdose deaths have been trending sharply upward in King County for years, with 2023 tragically on track to set a new record of fatal overdoses in King County with an average of 3.47 deaths occurring daily due to drug overdose. Last year’s average of 2.76 fatal overdoses per day was the highest rate every recorded, with a majority of overdose deaths related to fentanyl and methamphetamines.

The report would include data from all County homeless facilities, including County-funded emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing facilities, Health Through Housing units as well as facilities provided by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

This legislation will be heard in the coming weeks in the King County Council Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee.