Unlearning Poverty

The course "helped me understand my own family’s experiences," says Honors Program student Courtney Hooks, whose family has experienced housing instability. Media credit: Dana Brooks

Seattle is the 15th largest city in the country, yet we have the 3rd highest unhoused population. Why is that?

In 2015, the state of homelessness led both the City of Seattle and King County to declare states of emergency, a designation that suggests a short term, high-priority problem. But the numbers have grown since then. The 2015 One Night Count found 10,047 people experiencing housing instability: counting people living in tents and cars, staying overnight in shelters and/or staying in short-term...