I have lived for many years in Southeast Seattle and love Columbia City, a vibrant and growing part of our community, with a rich diversity of residents, faith communities, and businesses.

Currently, our community is divided on a proposed new housing project to be sited on Rainier Avenue South that will provide housing and onsite services for previously homeless people with mental illness. Much has been written and said about this project, and about the individuals who will be its new residents. Fear is a powerful emotion, and fear of the unknown is human nature. Knowledge and understanding are the antidotes.

We are not as far removed from homelessness as some might like to think. Those who are homeless include our neighbors, and often our own family and friends. A public opinion poll conducted last spring by United Way of King County found that 23 percent of the responders reported that someone in their immediate family had been homeless at one time.

Rainier House is not a shelter. It is not a drop-in center. It is a home --— for 50 poor and disabled people who have long been without one.

Ron Sims, left, at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally.

Mental health disorders and mental health problems affect people of all ages, all backgrounds, and at all stages of life. The National Alliance for Mental Illness estimates that mental illness affects one in five families in America.

Unfortunately, however, when many people hear “homeless” or “mentally ill,” they think of sensational news stories or movie plotlines involving danger and aberrant behavior. Despite last month’s tragedy in Virginia, this is largely a stereotype. The reality is very different. There is simply no statistical evidence that people with mental illness are more dangerous than the general population. In fact, current research shows that people with mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be the victims of violence than other members of society. The nature of their illnesses often leads more to isolation, rather than to aggression. The stereotype is even more wrong when applied to people receiving treatment in supportive settings.

For several years, King County has worked with our community partners to develop housing and supportive services to help people with mental illness get off the streets and into stable living environments connected to the treatment and other services they need to achieve recovery. Recovery doesn’t mean a cure. It means a normalization of life in a community, with meaningful relationships, employment, and housing. To accomplish this, we need whole communities to come together.

One of our strongest partners for more than 20 years has been the Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC), a non-profit agency dedicated to serving the most vulnerable and challenging of our citizens. They have won major national awards for their ability to do this in a way that is safe for the community and successful for their clients.

The Rainier project will provide 50 rental studio apartments with 24-hour supportive services for men and women with mental illness transitioning out of homelessness. DESC has been very clear as to their commitment to screen all applicants and exclude from residency anyone convicted of a violent felony, including sex offenders. All will have access to onsite treatment and other programs.

I learned about homelessness from the very best teachers: men and women living on the streets of Seattle. As a lay minister with Operation Nightwatch, I spent many nights talking with people from all walks of life who found themselves with little money, no home, and waning hope. I was moved and humbled by their challenges, and my experiences then fuel my determination now to find solutions to homelessness, not temporary stopgaps.

Our goal in King County, and it is an ambitious one, is to end homelessness by creating permanent housing for low-income and disabled people, along with the supportive services they need to maintain that housing. We have a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County. It represents years of community effort and planning.

This is an exciting and pivotal moment in our response to this important issue. We have made real progress. We must keep that momentum moving.

Supported housing for people with major mental illness is a proven practice for helping build stability. Rainier House is not a shelter. It is not a drop-in center. It is a home --— for 50 poor and disabled people who have long been without one.

We cannot say we want to end homelessness if we are not willing to be part of the solution. This is true, not just for Columbia City but for communities and neighborhoods across the county. We can and we will eliminate homelessness, one person at a time and one project at a time.

If we say no, how can we expect anyone else to say yes?