Access Denied: Art is not just for rich people

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Hanna Brooks Olsen is a writer living in Portland.

Articles by Hanna Brooks Olsen

Access Denied: What happens when barriers are lifted

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | June 28, 2017

On the first truly hot day of the summer, in what used to be a gravel lot, more than two dozen people who didn’t have a place to go just a few months ago are busy making the Licton Springs Tiny House Village a home. ...

Access Denied: Where Do Third-Shifters Sleep?

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | June 7, 2017

Real Change columnist

Before Amazon was investing in housing for homeless folks in South Lake Union, the tech giant had another idea to help. In December of 2015, the company approached the YWCA, looking to hire some people who were experiencing homelessness. It seemed like an exciting proposal. After all, a job is the ticket out, right? ...

Access Denied: The high cost of parking while homeless

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | May 3, 2017

Real Change columnist

If you want to make small talk in Seattle, there are three good places to start: A sports team, the weather and parking.

Whether it’s a headline about the “War On Cars” or a neighborhood meeting about restrictive parking zones, parking has long been a major gripe for folks in this city. Despite dense and highly walkable neighborhoods (and our reputation for being green), our town still relies on cars. ...

Access Denied: Taxation without representation

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | April 5, 2017

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is widely hailed as an anti-poverty tool that can make a huge difference in the lives of low-income folks. Often, it’s held up as an alternative to increasing the minimum wage — rather than paying people a little bit more out of their boss’s coffers every other week, they get one big check from the government.

But what happens if the IRS doesn’t know where to mail the check? Or what if you didn’t know you should’ve filed in the first place? ...

Access Denied: The unseen cost of prescriptions

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | March 1, 2017

Once a month, I go to the pharmacy to fill three prescriptions. I take five pills every day. When I travel, when there’s a holiday, or I’m going to be unable to get downtown, I have to plan far ahead to make sure I have enough. Thanks to my insurance, I can afford it reasonably.

My medication is my lifeline, but it’s also an inconvenience and, at times, a burden. And that makes me extremely fortunate. ...

Access Denied: When data doesn’t save the day

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | February 1, 2017

Since Mayor Ed Murray declared homelessness an emergency in November of 2015, there have been countless meetings, town halls and conversations aimed at establishing steps toward the goal of bringing more people indoors. On the second floor of Seattle City Hall in the City Council chambers, task forces and committees and advocates and activists have convened on a regular basis.

There has been a lot of talking. There has been some action. But as the One Night Count — now called Count Us In — demonstrated this year, there are still thousands sleeping outside. ...

Where can you stay when your best friend is turned away?

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | January 4, 2017

Prior to 2015, no indoor shelter in Seattle permitted individuals experiencing homelessness to bring pets inside with them, which often forced a difficult choice. That winter, following the declaration of the State of Emergency, one pet-friendly shelter finally opened, though just for the season, and only for men.

King County Executive Dow Constantine called it “a critical accommodation for many who need to stay warm but understandably won’t abandon an animal companion.” ...

Access Denied: In search of socks

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | December 7, 2016

Despite the popular misconception that homelessness is a life of relative leisure that entails sleeping much of the day, the reality is that most unsheltered folks spend their days on the move. Whether it’s being chased from parks, swept from greenbelts, or pursuing food, water, medicine, services, or other necessary survival items, people who live outside are on their feet a lot. ...

Access Denied: How homelessness is a crime

By Hanna Brooks Olsen | November 2, 2016

In the city of Seattle, you may be ticketed for camping or sleeping in a public place, sitting on a sidewalk, or using the restroom.

In other words, things that people who live inside do every day without thinking twice become punishable offenses when you’re outside with nowhere else to do them. ...