King County puts $100K toward programs to bus homeless people out of the county

King County councilmembers this week approved allotting $100,000 toward programs that would bus homeless people out of the area for family reunification.

The funding, part of King County’s supplemental budget, is far more than the $37,000 the county currently spends on family reunification across five programs. But, it represents just a fraction of the $1 million Councilmember Reagan Dunn recently proposed putting toward a "Homeward Bound" program.

These programs help provide homeless people with bus tickets out of the area to reunite with family and loved ones so they can get access to permanent housing. These types of programs -- which are used in cities across the country -- have helped some people navigate out of homelessness, but they have also faced controversy and some officials have questioned how to ensure people are actually getting and staying in permanent housing after relocating.

Dunn, who wants to create a streamlined Homeward Bound program unifying all of the current services in the county, said the $100,000 in funding isn't enough in the long run, but it's a good start.

Read more: https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/King-County-puts-100K-toward-programs-to-bus-14853329.php