This press release was issued by Real Change newspaper founder Tim Harris on Friday, June 11:

Real Change and the Pioneer Square Community Association (PSCA) are pleased to announce that they have resolved their issues related to the City of Seattle use permit for the New England Building in Pioneer Square. PSCA has withdrawn its appeal of the City of Seattle decision. The two organizations look forward to working together for the common benefit of Pioneer Square, supporting a vibrant neighborhood for all.

Leslie Smith, Executive Director of the PSCA, said of the settlement, “We had a constructive dialogue. Real Change listened thoughtfully to our concerns around the City’s use permit and agreed to work with us in a spirit of cooperation. We look forward to Real Change’s contributions to the vitality of the Pioneer Square Neighborhood.” Tim Harris, Executive Director of Real Change also welcomed the settlement, saying, "Real Change is happy to be past the conflict and to return full focus to our mission. We are proud to be part of the diversity of Pioneer Square and look forward to being engaged members of the community.”

Real Change is a 501 C-3 organization that creates opportunity and a voice for low income people while taking action to end homelessness and poverty.

The Pioneer Square Community Association is a 501 C-3 organization devoted to the betterment of Pioneer Square through advocacy, programming, marketing and community action.

A rally was held at Pioneer Square's Occidental Park Monday, May 24, for staff, venders and supporters of Real Change, the newspaper of the streets sold mostly by homeless folks, the same day they officially moved from their Belltown office to a brownstone building at 219 1st Avenue in the heart of that historic neighborhood.

The newspaper, edited by West Seattle resident Adam Hyla, signed a 5-year lease and, just one month into their April though June Spring Fund Drive, raised $62,279 for improvements to their new space.

Why the rally? Venders will need to visit the building regularly to pick up their newspapers before dispersing to various intersections around Seattle where they are licensed to sell. In West Seattle, Real Change venders are stationed outside Easy Street Records, PCC, and the Safeway markets. Some in Pioneer Square's business and residential community feel their cozy neighborhood, now dominated by vacancy signs including those in the windows of the former Elliott Bay Bookstore space, is already saturated with homeless people as well as social service agencies and they don't want another problem, which is their view of Real Change. The Pioneer Square Community Association (PSCA) wants them out. It's executive director, Leslie G. Smith, wrote the city an objection and appeal to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the agency that approved Real Change's occupancy.

Real Change has successfully applied for some zoning variances in their retail space.They plan to give vocational training to offer business skills to venders, and their critics see them as a wholesaler in a retail space, in addition to a training center.

Speakers at the rally, including Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, seemed both passionate and measured in temperament during the well-organized event. The crowd of about 75 were treated to more of a polemic David vs. Goliath discussion than a poster-wielding scream-fest.

Founder and Executive Director Tim Harris, the paper's patriarch with a commanding Neil Young-like resemblance, held court and slung a few verbal stones into the eyes of the PSCA as he argued that not only does his paper have a heart of gold, but it is a legitimate entrepreneurial business that employs a newspaper staff of 15, and over 400 venders that will help many get back on their feet.

"Some people are concerned that there are too many human services in the area and view (Real Change) as another human service," Licata told the West Seattle Herald following his speech as he handed a dollar to a vender for the latest edition. "But it is a business that provides a human service. I see no evidence that Real Change brings any negative impact to a community. The venders come and leave. I also think there are some business owners and residents here who want them here."

"When the PI went down, a big voice of the neighborhoods went down," best-selling author and 25-year West Seattle resident, Paul Loeb told the West Seattle Herald after his speech. His five books have sold over 250,000, and are about social justice. The Huffington Post printed an excerpt May 20 from his latest release, "Soul of a Citizen."

"The Seattle Times is more downtown and suburban oriented," added Loeb. "That makes Real Change and other neighborhood papers more important. Real Change gives people voice that don't have voice."

Loeb said that because a larger spectrum of the public is experiencing economic desperation now, the newspaper's existence is more critical.

"It used to be 'them,'" he said. "Now it's 'us,' too, falling off the edge. The paper employs 415 people. It's not Microsoft or Boeing, but that's a lot of people."

As for the zoning conflict, Loeb said, "That's such garbage. Do you think if people were selling Hallmark Cards the Pioneer Square Community Association would have a problem with it? It's so transparent."

"People have all kinds of assumptions when they thing about homeless people," said editor, Hyla, an Admiral District resident, as he was about to bicycle home from the square following the rally. "This is a really complex, diverse neighborhood, and I think we will prove to be an asset."