'Compassion Seattle' appeal rejected by Washington court; measure will not appear on Nov. ballot

An emergency appeal filed earlier this week by the organizers behind Charter Amendment 29  — also known as "Compassion Seattle" — was been rejected by the state's Court of Appeals on Friday, effectively keeping the measure off of the November ballot.

"Today’s rejection of our emergency appeal motion means that Seattle voters must change who is in charge if they want a change to the city’s failed approach to addressing the homelessness crisis," wrote the organizers in a statement. "While we are deeply disappointed, we will continue to share evidence that our amendment’s approach can make a necessary and noticeable difference for those living unsheltered in our parks and other public spaces."

Following a lawsuit brought forward by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and the Transit Riders Union, King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer struck down the measure last week, saying that it would conflict with state law and was not within the scope of a ballot initiative.

At the time of the ruling, the organizers of the controversial charter amendment — which is backed by over $1 million dollars in donations from major real estate and business organizations in the city — said that they would not file an appeal, noting that the decision would not happen in time for the November general election. Instead, they urged supporters to "change who is in charge at city hall."

But those organizers reversed course on Tuesday with the emergency appeal, hoping once again to get the initiative onto the November ballot for voters to weigh in on how the city handles the homelessness crisis.

The amendment, which collected a total of 64,155 signatures from Seattle voters over the summer to qualify for the November ballot, aimed to create an additional 2,000 units of emergency or permanent housing and expand behavioral health services for mental health and substance use disorder.

Once the shelter space was made available, the amendment would have also required that the city keep "parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces and sidewalks and streets open and clear of encampments." Advocacy groups like the ACLU have decried the amendment, saying that it would codify encampment sweeps and only reduces signs of visible poverty without focusing on permanent housing solutions.

"Destroying unhoused peoples’ homes and shuffling them all over Seattle has only exacerbated the region’s housing crisis and pushed more of our neighbors onto City streets.  It has no place in our City Charter," wrote the ACLU. "The government’s destruction of peoples’ homes and belongings when they have nowhere else to go is neither compassionate nor effective."

The amendment has also been controversial among politicians in the upcoming elections. Former Seattle City Council President and interim mayor Bruce Harrell has signaled his support for the amendment, while current Council President Lorena Gonzalez opposes the measure.

With the measure now off of the November ballot, the backers of the initiative gave a final appeal to voters to elect candidates that would take action on homelessness.

"Our work has elevated this issue — undoubtedly the most consequential one facing Seattleites —  to the forefront of this election for both candidates and voters. We will hold candidates accountable for their position on this crisis and their plans to address it, and urge voters to elect new leaders who will move Seattle forward and not perpetuate the status quo," wrote Compassion Seattle. "Seattle voters, you have the power to make a difference this November in who you elect as Mayor, as City Attorney, and to the City Council."