Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty

Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy.

Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entreprenuership to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago.

As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.

Choe is a New England native and Boston University journalism school graduate.

Archives

Burien Church Offers Building for Temporary Detox Center

Jonathan Choe
April 10, 2023
Search for Solutions #Burien council meeting is expected to be packed again Monday evening. Neighbors and biz owners are demanding an immediate solution to address the homeless encampment expanding in the main business corridor. Several new tents popped up over Easter weekend. Drug use is rampant. One camper got arrested. Volunteers at Hope Community Christian Church are trying to help, even offering to convert part of their building into a detox center. But they’re running into red tape and bureaucratic obstacles at City Hall. Meanwhile, @burien city leaders are calling on King County officials to step in and give them more resources. Is anyone working together? @KCCouncil @kcexec @KC_RHA @GovInslee @JoeMcDermottWA @DiscoveryCWP Finding More Foil and Needles New location, same Read More ›

Seattle Workers Fence in Cleared SODO Encampment to Prevent Return

Jonathan Choe
April 7, 2023
Final Look I was there on Wednesday when King County crews started clearing out this SODO encampment, a shell of it’s former self. Hard to imagine at one point there were at least 40 people living here. This location has seen fires, fights, drug overdose deaths, and been a source of crime in the neighborhood. It was also going to be one of the parcel’s used for Dow Constantine’s (@kcexec) failed HOMELESS MEGAPLEX before #Chinatown-ID residents fought back. No sign of Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales) as encampment sweeps continue in #Seattle. @MayorofSeattle @GovInslee @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @D5Juarez @KC_RHA

Horse Tranquilizer “Tranq” Appears in Fentanyl in Seattle

Jonathan Choe
April 7, 2023
Tranq Fentanyl is Here in Seattle Go to #Chinatown-ID right now, and you will see several people with rotting flesh walking around in a zombie like stupor. DEA (@deahq,@DEASEATTLEDiv) confirms it. Jay Yanamura is one of the patriarchs in the community and has started documenting this disaster in the making. #CID remains ground zero for the drug addiction crisis. Just listen to him lay out what he and other senior citizens have to deal with every single day. He also continues to call out Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales) for not being around during their “time of need.” #Seattle @MayorofSeattle @cmkshama @GovInslee @kcexec @JoeMcDermottWA @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @KCPubHealth @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @D5Juarez @SeattleFire @SeattlePD This is Insane “Because xylazine is not an opioid, Read More ›

Homeless Arson Suspect Appears in Court, Friends Say There are Two Sides to the Story

Jonathan Choe
April 6, 2023
Homeless Arson Suspect in Court Thursday morning Arthur Arakelov faced a judge for the first time. He’s accused of torching dozens of boats in Lake Union last month and causing millions of dollars in damage. He pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, #Seattle‘s homeless community remains in shock over these allegations and supporters say this was likely an accident. He’s being held on $100K bail and is due in court again later this month. @mayorofseattle @D5Juarez @kcexec @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @GovInslee @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @seattlePD @SeattleFire More from SPD Body Cam It appears Arakelov was cooperative and wanted to get out of the cold. He was treated on site and taken to the hospital. #Seattle Surveillance Video Look at the orange glow. Authorities say Read More ›

Jay Inslee’s Media Team Tried to Kick Journalist Out of Press Conference

Jonathan Choe
April 5, 2023
Assault on Press Freedoms Last month, I was nearly kicked out of a press conference in #Kirkland with Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) and King County Executive Dow Constantine (@kcexec), but was eventually allowed to stay after officials came to their senses. After doing some digging, multiple officials now say it was the Governor’s media handlers who tried to remove me, not the city of Kirkland. Stunning turn of events. “They should have their own people do that. They should not bully city staff into doing their dirty work for them.” -Toby Nixon, Kirkland City Council (@tobylnixon) Hey Brandi (@BrandiKruse) your sources were right! Thank you to everyone in #Seattle media who stood by me. @thehoffather @jasonrantz @KIRONewsradio @mattmarkovich @timgaydos etc. Read More ›

Walking Through Darkness, A Spiritual Response to the Drug Crisis

Jonathan Choe
April 5, 2023
Volunteers have been working to move people living in tents outside Burien City Hall into shelter. But they tell me that only a few accepted the offer. Most simply moved down the street to a new plot of land. Murphy Shaw and Joseph Riverson are with Hope Christian Community Church, one of several ministries helping these homeless men and women. “We’re gonna be here, we’re gonna keep ministering to them,” Riverson told me. As frustrated neighbors and business owners sharply critiqued city leaders at a council meeting for being unprepared for the growth of this new encampment, Riverson decided to take action. “I’m pitching a tent right here,” said Riverson, who is trying to build trust and relationships in the Read More ›

Difficult Cases of Homelessness: Angel’s Story

Jonathan Choe
April 3, 2023
Now What? Sweeps continue Monday morning in #Seattle. It’s the only way to keep these dangerous encampments from becoming a liability for neighborhoods like Fremont. Once again, We Heart Seattle (@weheartseattle) and Andrea Suarez (@weheartfounder) tackling some of the most difficult cases. But when severe mental illness and drug addiction are in play, even the most well intentioned outreach becomes an exercise in futility. Listen to “Angel’s” story. This is also why “housing first” will not work for people like her. She’s been given pretty much all the options from tiny houses to apartments. She’s burned all bridges. Every lawmaker about to craft homelessness policy must listen to this. What will be done about the most extreme cases? This has Read More ›

Man Discovered in Tent Days After Death, Family Thanks Outreach Worker Who Found Him

Jonathan Choe
April 2, 2023
Horrifying Discovery For the past few months, I have been following We Heart Seattle (@weheartseattle) founder Andrea Suarez (@weheartfounder) and her volunteers across #Seattle as they clean up this city and try to save homeless men and women living on the streets. But this past week, I was out of pocket when Suarez discovered the decomposing body of a 54 year old man in a tent right next to @TMobilePark as the @Mariners were getting ready for the season opener. Sunday afternoon, I went back to finally see where this all happened. Suarez says this must be a wake up call for this entire city and a call to action. @GovInslee @kcexec @MayorofSeattle @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @CMTammyMorales @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @D5Juarez @KC_RHA

Seattle Pedestrians Save Woman from Overdose Death

Jonathan Choe
April 2, 2023
Breaking Woman dying after drug overdose was saved by four bystanders Sunday afternoon in #Chinatown-ID. TRUE HEROES. They teamed up to call 911, started chest compressions, and administered NARCAN. @SeattlePD and @SeattleFire arrived and took over. This is near the notorious Little Saigon drug den and open air black market which I have spotlighted for more than a year. It continues to thrive. Authorities say these types of close calls happen daily in #Seattle. In many cases, the addicts die. Why is this still being allowed on our streets? *We need to find the bro on the bike and the fella wearing the Air Jordan cap. They played a massive role but took off before I could get their story Read More ›

Jonathan Choe Discusses Seattle’s Drug Crisis with Jesse Watters

Jonathan Choe
February 23, 2023
Students at Summit Sierra High School in Seattle are surrounded by a gauntlet of drug dealers, addicts, an open air black market, and dangerous homeless encampments. Yet state, county, and city leaders are allowing this to flourish with no timeline on solutions. Parents are livid, teachers aren't sure what to do, and some say this culture is now being normalized. This is a public safety failure.

A Heart for Squatters at the Ship Canal Bridge

Squatters from Nearby Problematic WSDOT Homeless Encampment Breaking into Abandoned Seattle Homes
Jonathan Choe
November 18, 2022
Despite multiple shootings and fires in the past few weeks, dozens of tents remain under the Ship Canal Bridge.  Washington Governor Jay Inslee says they’re making progress elsewhere:  “In the last several months we’ve seen quite a number of these encampment’s removed.”   But the Washington State Department of Transportation remains paralyzed when it comes to this property.  And there’s no timeline on when this problematic encampment will be cleared.  This weekend, neighbors called homeless outreach group We Heart Seattle to do something about it.  Andrea Suarez, We Heart Seattle’s founder and executive director, describes the area as, “just a bunch of tents in an open-air drug …

Everett Mayor Writes Off WSDOT’s Letter Denying Claims

Everett Mayor Blasts WSDOT for Allegedly Moving Homeless Into Her City Without Consulting
Jonathan Choe
November 17, 2022
In an exclusive interview, I asked Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, “Do you still stand by that letter?” Her response was unequivocal: “I absolutely do.” The letter in question is the one she sent to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) last week, in which she alleges that agency, in conjunction with a local nonprofit service provider, is moving “a large number” of the unsheltered population from outside Everett into her city’s motels. https://twitter.com/choeshow/status/1589723203685220352?s=20&t=RrNdZRqeeQmeVqBYaJD9Rw Calling it “an unacceptable burden for our city to bear,” Franklin says the agency never consulted with her. In response, WSDOT, along with the Washington State Department of Commerce and the …

Homelessness Crisis in Nation’s Capital

Jonathan Choe
October 31, 2022
In no other place in America are the heights of power and depths of severe poverty separated by only a few city blocks.  This sprawling encampment is expanding in Washington D.C.’s historic McPherson Square. Sharon Brown lives here in a tent, just five minutes from the White House.   When I ask her why folks are living here, she’s understandably frustrated. “We’re homeless people. Where do you want us to go?” Daniel Kingery also lives in the encampment.  He says hunger is not the problem, since multiple non-profits drop off food almost daily.  But he asks a good question: “Wouldn’t it be great if one of these homeless organizations actually got a homeless guy not only a job, but a residence?” Vincent Perrone is a …

Problematic RV’s “Gaming” the System in Seattle

Jonathan Choe
October 21, 2022
Next week is Patriots’ Day in six states—Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Florida,  Wisconsin, and North Dakota—that remember the beginning of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord in 1775. The quasi-holiday gets me thinking in 2023 about two other dates, 1623 and 1903. Four hundred years ago—1623—was the year most settlers in Jamestown and Plymouth, the two English outposts in America, were no longer homeless. Half of the original Pilgrims had died, but the rest finally had sufficient shelter and food. The previous year in Virginia, members of the Powhatan tribe had killed one-fourth of the settlers, but many natives had died—and from then on tribal power waned. Tragically, the slave trade was already underway. Life was hardest for blacks, but most whites did …

Regret and Apologies

Jonathan Choe
October 18, 2022
Last week, hundreds of senior citizens from the Chinatown-International District (C-ID) marched into SODO.  Protesting Dow Constantine’s homeless megaplex, they’re worried about the public safety impact on the C-ID, which is just a block away.   During the rally, a homeless couple stopped to give the marchers a piece of their mind. “Go back to your country,” they yelled, leaving the elders stunned by the racist remarks.   “Well, they can go back to their country too,” said community advocate Matt Chan, who didn’t appreciate the verbal attack.  Andrea Suarez with the homeless outreach group We Heart Seattle recognized the couple in the video.  “I was like, no! I’ve known them for over a year. We provided outreach …

Chinatown International District Giving Back

Seattle’s Chinatown-International District Continues to Serve the Homeless During Megaplex Fight
Jonathan Choe
September 28, 2022
Take a stroll through Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (C-ID) and count the number of homeless people and drug addicts occupying alleyways and the vestibules of apartment buildings.  With all the accompanying litter, “This place is becoming like the City of Seattle’s dump,” says neighbor George Wood.  Tents and cardboard boxes are laid out against exercise equipment in Hing Hay Park.  The city cleared an encampment under the I-5 overpass on King Street multiple times this year, but it’s back.  And the tent city set up against adjacent to Vuu’s Beauty School is a full-blown drug den, attracting dealers and all sorts of crime.  Kim Nguyen owns this business and says she’s been broken into numerous times this year. And because …

Chinatown Mobilizes Against Homeless Megaplex

Seattle's Chinatown International District and Seniors Mobilize Again To Block Homeless Megaplex
Jonathan Choe
September 22, 2022
For the second time this month, hundreds of people gathered at Hing Hay Park — this time with fresh new signs and messages targeting multiple elected officials.  Chinatown-International District (C-ID) residents are angry and feel disrespected.  Especially the seniors. Instead of enjoying retirement, these grizzled veterans are challenging King County Executive Dow Constantine’s plan to ram through a homeless megaplex with close to 500 beds in nearby SODO.  They’re worried about all the problems this kind of shelter campsite can bring with it – like crime spilling into the surrounding neighborhoods.  Seattle Police Officers Guild president Mike Solan, who came out in support of the community, says he expects their fears to be confirmed: “Can you …

Hope Camping Out in Spokane

Jonathan Choe
September 1, 2022
Surrounded by vast farmland and enjoying majestic sunsets, Spokane is the largest city in Eastern Washington. It’s home to Gonzaga University, an abundance of outdoor activities, and the population is booming — including at a place called, “Camp Hope.”