Statement from Kincaid: To the people of Bellevue’s Eastgate neighborhood regarding the homeless shelters

Understanding the Problem

Before we can solve this problem, it is important to understand how it originated. Did the people of Bellevue want, ask for, or vote for homeless shelters in Eastgate? So how did this happen?

A small ruling class a group of people who believe they are superior to everyone else made this decision. King County, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond came together and reached an agreement to move forward with these shelters. It is important to note that this agreement was not legally binding. Bellevue was under no legal obligation to participate. The agreement called for Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond to host homeless facilities operated by Plymouth Housing and it did not matter what residents had to say. The facilities were going to be built regardless. The public hearings and the Bellevue City Council vote were little more than formalities. There was very strong opposition to the Eastgate location, and that opposition was ignored.

To the People of Eastgate and All of Bellevue

I see you, and I hear your concerns. If elected to Congress in 2026, I will do everything within my power to advocate for a better solution regarding the homeless shelters currently located in your community.

I want to be transparent. I will not have the direct authority to shut down or relocate these shelters at the federal level. That authority rests solely with the Bellevue City Council. However, I will strongly and persistently advocate with the City Council to have them relocated. In my view, the current placement has created serious public safety concerns, with incidents of crime affecting the surrounding area, including Bellevue College. Keeping the shelters in this location permanently is not a viable option.

The Only Real Solution

More police patrols and surface level fixes will not solve this problem. The real solution the only solution is to move the shelters to a more appropriate location where services can continue without putting residential neighborhoods and institutions like Bellevue College at risk.

So where in Bellevue would be a suitable permanent location? Currently, there is no ideal location within city limits. The solution is to create one through annexation. One possible site includes areas near SE Cougar Mountain Drive, which are already in the process of being annexed. If the area lacks bus service, that can be added. Since this shelter initiative originated with King County and the Bellevue City Council, those same parties should be capable of collaborating on the annexation of a new location.

What Can Be Done in the Meantime

Moving the shelters will take time. So what can be done until that happens?

The shelters currently operate as low barrier facilities, but the Bellevue City Council has the authority to change that. The City can require searches for drugs upon entry, mandate drug testing, and fingerprint individuals who cannot provide identification. King County pushed for a low barrier model, and the funding from King County, the State, and HUD prioritizes that approach. They may threaten to pull funding if conditions change but I do not believe they will follow through. And if they do, it could lead to a shutdown, which would be another way to resolve the problem.

There is one additional step the City can take. Replace Plymouth Housing with another service provider, though King County's approval may be required to do so.

I will also work to explore whether federal resources can be redirected to support a relocation. My commitment is to ensure public safety, protect our neighborhoods, and still provide compassionate, responsible shelter for those in need.

It Is Time for Accountability

It is time for the Bellevue City Council to acknowledge that a mistake was made. These shelters should never have been placed in that location. The City Council does not have the right to disrupt the lives of the people who live in this area. It is long past time for the Council to do the right thing. They should declare Plymouth Crossing and PorchLight to be public nuisances and require them to relocate to a site that poses less danger to the public.

This is clearly the best option for public safety and I believe it is also the best option for the long term future of the shelters themselves. A designated zone could be established, additional resources could be provided at a new location, and something could be built that would truly help people experiencing homelessness. Right now, that is not happening. Just look at the volume of 911 calls and the number of overdoses occurring at these sites. As they currently operate, these facilities are essentially providing an indoor space for drug use . Not a path to recovery or stability.

The hardworking people who live, work, and attend school in the Eastgate area should not have their lives disrupted by shelters that are not genuinely helping anyone. The bottom line is this. The shelters cannot remain at their current location. They must be moved.

The residents of Eastgate placed their trust in the City Council to act in their best interests. That trust was misplaced. The time for politely asking and patiently waiting is over. It is time for the people to demand that their City Council members do their jobs and protect public safety.

The Path Forward

The shelters are funded through a mix of local, county, and federal sources. After careful review, it is clear that the Bellevue City Council is the only body with the power to shut down or relocate these shelters. They have shown no intention of doing so on their own. Because the City contributes funding and has the authority to declare the shelters a public nuisance, they have the tools to force a relocation they simply lack the will. The people of Bellevue will need to make their voices loud enough to compel their elected officials to act and protect public safety.

As I stated, if I am elected to Congress in 2026, I will not have direct control over this matter. I cannot order the shelters to be shut down or moved. However, there may be ways to apply meaningful pressure. Because these shelters receive federal funding, they are subject to a wide range of regulations from agencies such as HUD and the IRS. I will scrutinize every aspect of their operations. If there are any violations, I will find them and act on them. I will also pursue any available federal funding to assist with relocation and to help build a far better facility elsewhere.

I will be there for the hardworking people of Bellevue, Redmond, and all of District 1. I will always stand by you and fight for you. And my commitment does not stop at district lines. I will also do my best to help the people of the Chinatown area of Seattle and everyone across the state of Washington.

Video 1- audio of a 911 call. A homeless man reported that he was raped by another homeless man. Near the homeless shelter in Bellevue . In this case the victim was another homeless man. Next time it could be a resident from the community . A child or a student from Bellevue College .

Video 2- In August just outside of the homeless shelter in Bellevue. A home man was killed by another homeless man. The homeless killer was caught in Portland.

Video 3 - New homeless shelter in Redmond.

Video 4- Inrix CEO confirms the public meetings were just for show. King County and Kirkland City Council made the decision. Did not matter what the people of Kirkland wanted. The public meetings were just put on for show. To give the people of Kirkland the illusion their voices matter to them. It’s the same thing that happened with Bellevue and Redmond .

Links-

JOINT LETTER OF AGREEMENT between KING COUNTY and THE CITY OF Bellevue

Comments

Kincaid’s statement on Microsoft job cuts

A Few Words on the Recent Microsoft Job Cuts Back in the old days, if you spoke out against a major employer, people would warn you: "Be careful this is a company town." Well, Washington State today is essentially a company state. Taking on Microsoft directly would be political suicide for most. Let me be clear: I am not attacking Microsoft, and I am not looking to start a fight with them. But I do think some of their decisions deserve a closer look. Stock Buybacks vs. Real Investment Over the past ten years, Microsoft has spent roughly $170 billion on stock buybacks. That practice is not unusual among large corporations, but it raises a fair question. Instead of artificially inflating its own share price, could some of that money have been put to better use . Invested in people, in innovation, and in the communities that made Microsoft what it is today? Re-examining the H-1B Visa Program We should also take a hard look at the H-1B visa program. Companies claim...

Nurse Assault Prevention and Accountability Act of 2027

Nurse Assault Prevention and Accountability Act of 2027 Protecting the People Who Take Care of Us Overview Protecting the People Who Protect Us Every day across America, nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and frontline healthcare workers walk into hospitals, clinics, and long term care facilities not knowing whether they will be respected or threatened spat on, shoved, or worse. They are not asking for praise. They are asking for protection. According to recent data, nearly three out of four workplace violence incidents in the private sector occur in healthcare settings. Seventy five percent. Nurses are punched. CNAs are attacked. Emergency room staff are threatened not just during pandemics, but during routine shifts in everyday hospitals, in everyday America. And yet, in many states, if someone assaults a nurse throws a punch, delivers a slap, or spits in their face there may be no serious consequences whatsoever. In too many places, it is treated as a minor m...

Kincaid's statement on Olympus Spa " Olympus Spa Is the Hill I'm Willing to Die On "

Let's Save Olympus Spa I was genuinely shocked when I learned what happened to Olympus Spa in Lynnwood. I kept asking myself. How? Why? How is something like this even possible in America? At first, I assumed this would never hold up in court. I thought there was no way the people of Washington had voted for this. And I was right they didn't. The voters never decided this. The state legislature did. They passed a law declaring that a biological male including one with male genitalia could be legally recognized as a woman by the state. A new driver's license. A new legal designation. And then the state turned to places like Olympus Spa a women only business where patrons are nude and said: "You must let him in. Or we will sue you." It did not matter that female customers were deeply uncomfortable being unclothed around biological males. It did not matter that this directly violated the sincere religious beliefs of a Korean owned women's spa. It did n...

Kincaid’s Strategy to End Homelessness

Three Crises, Three Solutions: A New Approach to Homelessness Current homelessness policy has failed. It is time for an honest, structured, and compassionate response . One that matches the cause to the cure. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." By that definition, the way America deals with homelessness is insanity. Turning the streets into the new asylums is insanity. Allowing people to set up drug dens on the sidewalk is insanity. Allowing people with severe mental illness to live on the sidewalk is insanity. An elderly woman lost her eye because of this insanity. Many innocent people have been killed because of this insanity. Almost daily, we encounter people showing signs of mental illness or who are under the influence of drugs on the streets, on buses, on trains. This is obviously a threat to public safety. It is insanity. It is not compassion for the homeless. It is not compassion for the elde...

Proposal: No Federal Income Tax for Persons Earning $61,000 or Less

No Federal Income Tax or Tax Filing for People Earning $61,000 or Less Summary This proposal would eliminate federal individual income tax liability for people earning $61,000 or less in total wage income, simplifying the tax system for tens of millions of working Americans while having minimal impact on federal revenue. In practical terms, anyone earning approximately $29.33 per hour or less would pay zero federal income tax and would no longer be required to file a tax return each year. Payroll taxes , Social Security and Medicare would still be deducted from paychecks as they are today. Beyond that, nothing. No additional federal tax withheld. No annual filing requirement. Rationale Based on IRS data from the past decade (2013–2022), households earning $61,000 or less make up approximately 50 to 60 percent of all U.S. tax filers. Yet this group contributes only 2 to 3 percent of all federal individual income tax revenue roughly $53 to $79 billion per year, depending o...

The Tragic Failure Behind the Lawrence Reed / Bethany MaGee Case

The System Failed And an Innocent Woman Paid the Price The Tragic Case of Bethany McGee, Lawrence Reed, and Why We Must Reform Civil Commitment Laws When violent repeat offenders are allowed to roam freely despite years of warning signs, innocent people are left feeling like they are playing Russian roulette just to go about their daily lives. We must bring back long term psychiatric care. We must reform civil commitment laws. Just months after Iryna Zarutska was randomly stabbed in the neck and killed on a train in North Carolina, another senseless attack occurred this time on a train in Chicago. On November 17, 2025, Chicago witnessed one of the most horrific acts of random violence in recent memory. Bethany McGee, a 26-year-old woman, was riding the CTA Blue Line when a man named Lawrence Reed poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. She was left fighting for her life. As shocking as this attack was, it should not have come as a surprise. It was the predictable re...

KINCAID Exploratory Committee

Announcing an Exploratory Committee for Washington's 1st Congressional District Today, I am announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to pursue a run for Congress in Washington's 1st Congressional District. I am a Democrat. If I run, I will likely be challenging fellow Democrat Representative Suzan DelBene, who has held this seat for more than 12 years. Washington State ranks among the worst states in the nation for retirees largely due to the cost of living. But affordability is unlikely to be a concern for Representative DelBene. Like so many career politicians, her personal wealth has grown dramatically during her time in office. According to Quiver Quantitative, her net worth has more than doubled from $60 million to $126.34 million. That may sound extraordinary, but it is not unusual. More than half of all members of Congress are millionaires. Among the ten wealthiest members of Congress, Representative DelBene currently ranks eighth. Let me be clear. ...

Kincaid’s Gun Control Policy

I feel there has been a big hole in the debate on gun control policy. The focus has been on laws that will do little or nothing to protect people from the daily street crime happening across the country. There has never been enough focus on stolen handguns and on preventing guns from being stolen in the first place. As you know, home invasions and car thefts happen every day, and many times this results in guns being stolen. A criminal should not be able to simply break a glass window and walk away with a bag full of guns in a matter of minutes. Right now only 16 states and the District of Columbia require you to report a lost or stolen gun . Let’s take a moment to stop and think about that. WTF? There is no federal law requiring the secure storage of guns. A child safety lock may come with a gun, but there is no real requirement that you use it, and that does not prevent a gun from being stolen the way a lock box or safe would. A few states have laws requiring the safe...

Kincaid’s Statement on Antisemitic Attack Against Jewish Student in Seattle

This is a deeply disturbing case of antisemitism targeting a 15 year old Jewish girl at her high school in Seattle. This is racism. This is hate. This is evil. What the other students did to her is unconscionable and so is the failure of the school system to protect her. I call upon the Mayor of Seattle, the Governor of Washington, the State Attorney General, and all city, state, and federal representatives to condemn this act without hesitation. I urge them to fully investigate the students and staff involved, and to offer their unwavering support to the victim and her family. The people of Seattle and the entire state of Washington should be horrified that this happened. We should be embarrassed. We should be ashamed. There is an infection of evil spreading in our country, and this case is one of the most chilling symptoms. I fear what the students who committed this act may be capable of as adults if this hatred is left unchecked. Case Outline : Antisemitism at Nathan H...

Kincaid for Congress – Washington’s 1st District

Search This Blog