Seattle Businesses Weigh Leaving Amid Rising Crime, Homelessness

More than half of business owners in downtown Seattle are contemplating closing their operations or relocating, citing an untenable business environment exacerbated by rising crime, homelessness, and drug use. A survey conducted by the Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce found that 56 percent of city center entrepreneurs feel the business climate has become unsustainable.

The poll also revealed widespread pessimism, with 61 percent of business owners expressing a bleak outlook for the next 12 months. Furthermore, 47 percent have actively considered moving their businesses entirely out of Seattle. Key factors driving this sentiment include the state's taxes, fees, and compliance costs, compounded by significant concerns over employee safety in the face of perceived out-of-control crime.

These concerns are echoed by business owners on the ground. Jamila Conley, owner of WeRise Wine Bar, has installed a gate in front of her establishment due to persistent issues with individuals using drugs and sleeping at her business entrance. "It became more of a business decision and a safety risk than financial," Conley stated, noting that she now understands the appeal of neighboring Bellevue, where minimum wage, insurance, and taxes are lower.

Business owners have also expressed frustration with recent policy decisions by Mayor Katie Wilson. The increase in the minimum wage from $20.76 to $22.14 per hour, effective in the new year, is seen by some as an additional burden that small businesses struggle to absorb. While Conley supports the minimum wage increase in principle, she questions its implementation without considering the financial capacity of businesses.

"All you're doing is like, yeah, this person used to be able to have this job, but if the place they're working can't afford them anymore, how is this helping?" Conley told KIRO7. The wage increase is estimated to add $1,747 annually per full-time minimum wage worker before payroll taxes.

Mayor Wilson also enacted a new 9.9% tax on individuals earning over $1 million annually, slated to take effect in the 2028 tax year, which may contribute to the departure of high-net-worth residents. Meanwhile, public spaces in downtown Seattle have increasingly become sites of open-air drug use and visible homelessness.

A separate survey by the Seattle Metro Chamber indicated that 39 percent of voters identified crime, drugs, and public safety as their primary concern, surpassing homelessness at 33 percent. A significant 75 percent of respondents in that survey expressed a lack of confidence in the city's plan to improve public safety.

These sentiments are not new. Mary Tran, an employee at a downtown jewelry store for 10 years, previously described similar challenges, including the need for multiple locked doors and reinforced security due to drug activity and public encampments directly outside her business. "The cops won’t come, I don’t even call them anymore," Tran said, highlighting a sense of declining public services.

In parallel to these business concerns, housing inventory in Seattle has surged. Tracking company Reventure reported a 173 percent increase in housing inventory over the past five years, with supply now at a 15-year high and approximately 13,000 listings across the metropolitan area.