Times Watchdog

Times Watchdog

Times Watchdog

Times Watchdog is a series of investigative reports promoting good government, bringing questionable practices to light and holding authorities and the powerful accountable to the public.

Out of homelessness, into a hovel: Public money spent on Seattle houses with bugs, trash, no water

Carolyn Malone lives in an approximately 110-square-foot room costing $500-a-month where bath and kitchen are shared. (this is largely it) She’s participating in a transitional housing program in the Central District that caters to people who are on the cusp of homelessness. The house she’s staying in was recently sold at a foreclosure auction after its owner, a local landlord with a long and checkered history, defaulted on the property. Her future is unknown. (My estimate on square footage) Saturday, July 15, 2017

In response to the homelessness crisis, local governments are spending millions of dollars on rental subsidies to get people into housing that is seen as more stable. But with lax oversight, those dollars have paid for properties with long histories of neglect and disrepair.

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