Washington's Homelessness Crisis Explained | Eric Zimmerman

Washington Policy On The Go is WPC's bi-weekly (weekly during the legislative session) virtual lunchtime event series featuring center directors and guests to inform you on the latest in Washington State policy research and analysis. In this video we interview Eric Zimmerman, mayor of Normandy Park, whose study on homelessness lays out important information on Washington's policy choices and how effective they have been. If you find our videos useful, consider making a donation! We receive government funds nor make ad or sponsor revenue from our videos and rely on generous contributions from individuals like you! Donations to WPC are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Consider supporting us at https://washingtonpolicy.org/giveyt 00:00 - Introduction 02:53 - Is Washington really an outlier? 05:31 - The two biggest factors behind homelessness 09:22 - Why minimum wage increases did not solve the problem 13:11 - How bad Washington’s rankings really are 14:29 - Why Washington leads on fentanyl overdose indicators 18:10 - Why policymakers resist changing course 19:35 - Jail, system friction, and forced interruption 22:32 - Involuntary commitment and family intervention 24:18 - The broader public cost of homelessness 26:24 - Washington’s per-capita homelessness ranking 27:07 - Why people stop working and fall into homelessness 30:41 - Where other cities have had more success 32:46 - Could AI job losses worsen homelessness? 35:14 - How much is being spent per homeless person? 37:05 - Cannabis legalization, homelessness, and normalization 38:56 - Ninth Circuit rulings and public camping 39:49 - Low-barrier housing and whether it works Visit our homepage for the latest Washington news: https://washingtonpolicy.org Sign up for our FREE newsletter: https://washingtonpolicy.org/signup Follow us on our social platforms! Facebook: / washington.policy.center | X: https://x.com/wapolicycenter | Instagram: / washingtonpolicy | TikTok: / washingtonpolicy