Political Brief: Sept. 5, 2012

By Michael Sarko
- The Capitol Hill Times -

After months of planning and debate, Seattle city government has agreed to the details of funding and development for low-income housing at Yesler Terrace. Under the plan, current residents of Yesler Terrace will be given full relocation assistance, right of return to new housing on the site, and a guarantee that their new housing options during the construction will be within the immediate area. The redevelopment of Yesler Terrace will include a minimum of 1,100 low-income housing units, with another 100 contingent on funding.

City Council has unanimously confirmed the appointment of Magdaleno M. Rose-Avila as Seattle’s first director of the new Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. The office, created in late 2011, is a reaction to growing concerns among Seattle residents about social inequality, especially as it relates to law enforcement. The city’s SPD 20/20 law enforcement reform program, which has been accepted by the U.S. Department of Justice, has several components that interact directly with the OIRA.

This Sunday, the second Seattle SlutWalk demonstration will take place downtown. Now an ongoing women’s rights organization and applying for 501(c)(4) non-profit status, Seattle SlutWalk will stage a march from Occidental Park to Westlake Center to raise awareness and spur political action on social equality for women.