City of Auburn

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‘Whatever it takes’ — Dispatches from the City of Auburn anti-homelessness team

Life out here is difficult. It’s chaos, movement, confusion, loneliness, danger, brutality, gloom and constancy. When there is no home, nowhere is. It’s paradoxically nobody’s first choice, and yet, the battle to get the unhoused housed and connected with services is fraught and ongoing across King County and South Puget…

Homelessness

6 min read

Homelessness

6 min read

May 21

A newcomer’s first impressions of Petpalooza

Jonathan Glover is the Communications Manager at the City of Auburn. He loves pets and dogs and cats and turtles as much as the next guy. He’s just never been to Petpalooza before and he’s very sorry. Something about me: I’ve never been to Petpalooza before, but it’s not my…

4 min read

A newcomer’s first impressions of Petpalooza

4 min read

May 4

Community courts, and the need for alternative incarceration

In Auburn, we’re pretty proud of our Community Court. And why shouldn’t we be? Each week, over a dozen participants meet with a panel of lawyers and a judge who are firmly on their side. …

2 min read

Community courts, and the need for alternative incarceration

2 min read

Apr 24

Did you miss State of the City last week? Worry not

City of Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus presented her State of the City address last week on Wednesday, April 19. In addition to sharing some wins and updates on projects like the Auburn Arts and Culture Center, Mayor Backus talked extensively about the city’s homelessness response and the multitude of teams and resources that converge to make meaningful differences in people’s lives. She also spoke about the city’s new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives helmed by the DEI team.

1 min read

Did you miss State of the City last week? Worry not

1 min read

Mar 24

Living in the Shadows: Arick’s Story

Living in the Shadows is a monthly blog written by the City of Auburn’s Anti-Homelessness Team. At 6-foot-5, 47-year-old Arick Karl is exceptionally hard to miss. He’s the type of tall that towers; front car seats scoot forward for room; couches suddenly seem much shorter than they were a moment…

4 min read

4 min read

Mar 9

An Auburn foreign exchange student to Japan is returning over 50 years later — and with a uniquely Auburn gift

Scott Britain stands in a league of his own. Five decades ago, he was selected to represent Auburn half a world away. Though he’d already graduated high school, he was the sole applicant in a fledgling foreign exchange program that would swap himself with a student in Tamba, Japan in…

4 min read

An Auburn foreign exchange student to Japan is returning over 50 years later — and with a uniquely…

4 min read

Mar 2

An AI wrote this blog post about Auburn — can you tell?

If you’ve not yet heard of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, buckle up. It’s already begun dominating headlines around the world and the trend will only continue. For the uninitiated, ChatGPT is an “artificial intelligence” tool that communicates in a naturalistic, surprisingly human way. …

3 min read

An AI wrote this blog post about Auburn — can you tell?

3 min read

Mar 2

Art imitates life: How this Community Court graduate is drawing a new path

When Ryan Toves thinks of art, his imagination goes to before. Before he was sent to prison for the first time as a young adult. Before he was released and fell into a meth addiction. Before he was homeless. Before he stole a car to stay warm. Before he was…

4 min read

Art imitates life: How this Community Court graduate is drawing a new path

4 min read

Feb 23

Living in the Shadows: Richard’s Story

Living in the Shadows is a monthly blog written by the City of Auburn’s Anti-Homelessness Team. Richard has lived a tough life, that much is obvious. Twenty-plus years without a home and a crippling methamphetamine addiction tend to do that. He has some regrets, and he’ll be the first to…

4 min read

4 min read

Feb 8

Sometimes all you need is a middle school field trip to City Hall

The City of Auburn had the good fortune of hosting middle schoolers from across South Korea last Thursday afternoon. …

2 min read

Sometimes all you need is a middle school field trip to City Hall

2 min read