Just want to say as a Seattlite that the city I experience is not a dangerous hell hole at all. I've lived in Capitol Hill for a decade. I've worked on the hill and in SODO. I regularly go to Pioneer Square, Rainier Valley, downtown, the ID, not to mention Ballard, Fremont, and so on. Homelessness is a serious problem in the city, and something I encounter every day, but I have never been attacked, threatened, etc. I'm sure it happens, but I think the narrative is getting unbalanced. I've stayed in Seattle for so long because it is truly an amazing place to live!
Setting all that aside, because the issue is so pressing and the risk at losing empathy so great I volunteer with a local homeless shelter. I encourage everyone who feels this issue is important to find some time to contribute to the solution. You can help make a difference, interact with homeless people as humans not "others", and regain a little agency in the world.