Affordable Housing vacancies in Seattle rise while the homeless population grows

There is a disconnect between the high level of homelessness in Seattle and the high number of affordable housing units that are sitting unused at the moment. As of the end of last year, nearly 11% of affordable housing in the city were empty – more than 2700 apartments. . That’s more than five times the number of vacancies compared to 7 years ago.  So what happened?  Well, for many, affordable housing is, ironically, no longer the affordable option. A flattening of rents overall has made these units less desirable than many other market rate options. But even though these units are sitting empty, it’s unlikely they will be opened for Seattle’s growing homeless population.  Guest: Seattle Times homelessness reporter Greg Kim Links: Why thousands of Seattle’s affordable-housing apartments became vacant Homeless people visited ER less after moving into King County’s hotels Bracing for cuts, King County Housing Authority pulls back Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, with Fall officially beginning at 11:19 on Monday morning, we’ve reached the FINAL weekend of the summer.  How will YOU be celebrating the end of the season?  Are you sad to see the summer slip away, or are you excited for the Autumnal goodness that the season change brings? Either way, we’ve got Soundside Producer Jason Megatron Burrows here with nearly EVERY option available! LINKS:  West End Beer Fest - Spokane Oktoberfest | Rotary Club of Edmonds Fremont Oktoberfest Whidbey Island Cider Festival | PRI Saint Demetrios Greek Festival The Seattle Pancakes & Booze Art Show Seattle's Art Walk Marathon Seattle Iranian Festival GOT SOLE - Sneaker Swap Meet  Ice Cube - Climate Pledge Arena Billy Idol - Climate Pledge Arena Kraken vs Canucks - Pre-Season Seahawks vs NO Saints Savannah Bananas vs The Firefighters The Spitfire Grill - Black Box Theatre | Edmonds College Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019, the remote plains of Harney County, Oregon made national news. Scattered amongst groves of ponderosa pine were a handful of mutilated cattle. The cows had an almost surgical removal of their tongues and other organs. But the most astounding thing is that the scenes where these cattle were found were pristine. No tracks. And not one drop of blood – the carcasses were drained dry.  That detail became the inspiration for a documentary by co-directors Jackson Devereux and Lachlan Hinton, and reporter Anna King. Their documentary film – three years in the making – is titled “Not one Drop of Blood.” The documentary will screen at the Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings film festival in Seattle on Saturday, September 20th. Guests: Anna King, senior correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting Jackson Devereux and Lachlan Hinton, directors of "Not One Drop of Blood." Related Links:  Not One Drop of Blood Local Sightings 2025 – Not One Drop of Blood 'Not One Drop Of Blood': Cattle Mysteriously Mutilated In Oregon : NPR Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A state Senate seat in Washington’s 26th district is looking like a barn burner. The district covers Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Port Orchard and the Key Peninsula. And Republicans see this race as a way to chip away at the Democratic majority in the Senate. Republican state Representative Michelle Caldier has served the district for 6 terms in the House. She’s trying to unseat Democratic state Senator Deb Krishnadasan who was appointed to the position last year. And the race is tight, 1,000 votes separated the two candidates in the primary election. Guest: State Representative Michelle Caldier, candidate for state Senate in the 26th LD Relevant Links: WA State Standard: New leader in electoral battle for WA state Senate seat WA Observer: Mostly-Microsoft money headed for hot legislative races Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington’s great outdoors are famous for breathtaking mountain views, crystal blue lakes and…. roads? You could start seeing more of that last one on your hikes and camping trips in the coming years.  That’s because President Trump is trying to get rid of the Roadless Rule. It’s a 2001 federal policy that prohibits road construction and logging in protected national forests and grasslands. A repeal of the policy could impact close to 45 million acres in the United States, including around 2 million in Washington.  The administration says the rule is too restrictive, gets in the way of wildfire risk management and hurts economic development in rural areas. In late August, the federal government opened a public comment period for the proposed rescission. People have until Friday, September 19th, to share their thoughts.  So far, the news has ignited major backlash from wildlife advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and tribes. But others are in favor of the federal administration's proposal to repeal the rule. A few people share why they're either backing the policy's overturn or fighting for its preservation.  Guest: Alyssa Macy, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs  Nick Smith, public affairs director for the American Forest Resource Council  Lia Brewster, Sierra Club conservation campaign strategist   Related stories:  Trump's push to end "Roadless Rule" could open some of Utah's wild places to logging | Axios Salt Lake City Trump agencies move to repeal roadless rule, open public lands | USA TODAY Roadless Rule repeal moves ahead; would affect 2M acres in Washington | The Spokesman-Review  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new school year has started; kids are sharpening pencils and breaking in backpacks. Many are also getting used to another new tool: Artificial Intelligence.  A slew of tech companies have been offering free or low-cost AI products to schools that will purportedly engage students and help them learn, while also aiding teachers with their day-to-day responsibilities. In a survey by the Consortium for School Networking, more than 50% of districts across the nation said they were training teachers in how to use AI.  But are these tools actually creating a better learning environment? And who stands to benefit from their growth in American education? We talk to reporter and author Vauhini Vara about her new deep dive into this issue.  Guest: Reporter and author Vauhini Vara  Related Links: How Chatbots and AI Are Already Transforming Kids' Classrooms Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In May, King County prosecutors filed sexual assault charges against a King County sheriff’s deputy. They said he raped a 17-year-old girl.  Prosecutors claim the abuse started while the two were alone on a ride-along in his police SUV while she was participating in Explorers, a national youth mentorship program, with the Burien Police Department.  And that allegation mirrors a disturbing pattern of abuse within Explorers programs at law enforcement agencies nationwide. We talk with a reporter who has investigated the program about what she found.  Guest Lakeidra Chavis, former reporter, The Marshall Project Related Links In Police Youth Program, Abuse Often Starts When Officers Are Alone With Teens in Cars - The Marshall Project King County sheriff’s deputy charged with rape, sexual misconduct  - The Seattle Times Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Senate seat in Washington’s 26th district is looking like a barn burner. The district covers Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Port Orchard and the Key Peninsula. And Democrats are hoping to keep that district from flipping.   Democratic state Senator Deb Krishnadasan is the appointed incumbent in this fight. She finished the primary about 1,000 votes ahead, setting up an incredibly tight race for this November.    She’ll square off against Republican state Representative Michelle Caldier, who has served the district for 6 terms in the House. It’s a classic Republican versus Democrat race with the potential to diminish Democratic control in the Senate. Guest: State Senator Deb Krishnadasan from Washington's 26th Legislative District Relevant Links: WA State Standard: New leader in electoral battle for WA state Senate seat WA Observer: Mostly-Microsoft money headed for hot legislative races Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a story about the internet and our country’s political polarization.It’s also a story about our thirst for answers, and the race to score ideological points following a tragedy. And that rush to blame and to explain creates an environment where totally innocent people are run over by the runaway train of internet speculation, viral misinformation, and prejudice. That’s what happened to one Seattleite a few days ago. She’s a paralegal, and a trans woman – and last week, to a portion of the internet, her photo became the face of the shooter who assassinated Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Her image went viral in right-wing social media circles, along with threatening anti-trans rhetoric.  Obviously all of that was a lie. But the situation also had very true consequences for her life. Guest: Michaela, Seattle resident A note: We are only using Michaela's first name because of concerns about harassment. Related stories: Conservatives falsely accused her of assassinating Charlie Kirk. It started with Dr. Pepper jokes - KUOW No, this transgender woman is not the Charlie Kirk assassin - The Advocate Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 11am on Monday, September 15th, students at high schools across Seattle walked out of class, and headed to Seattle Public Schools’ district office downtown. They were protesting changes to lunch times, announced last week by the district, that they say will negatively affect student experience at school. KUOW reporter Noel Gasca was at the Seattle Public Schools district office, where students are gathering to protest, and joined us to explain. Guest: KUOW reporter Noel Gasca Related stories: Seattle students ready to fight ‘horrendous’ schedule change - Seattle Times One lunch SPS - Student led instagram page Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.