Some street alcoholics make dozens of trips a year to Seattle hospitals, and officials estimate they cost the city up to $100,000 a piece each year in jail stays, hospitalization, and emergency services.
Some street alcoholics make dozens of trips a year to Seattle Seattle (sēăt`əl), city (1990 pop. 516,259), seat of King co., W Wash., built on seven hills, between Elliott Bay of Puget Sound and Lake Washington; inc. 1869. hospitals, and officials estimate they cost the city up to $100,000 a
piece each year in jail stays, hospitalization hospitalization /hos·pi·tal·iza·tion/ (hos?pi-t'l-i-za´shun)
1. the placing of a patient in a hospital for treatment.
2. the term of confinement in a hospital. , and emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' .
So the city has decided to house up to 75 of them in their own apartment
building. Residents may drink on the premises.
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