Each individual needs a different approach when it comes to homelessness, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee agree.

The two mayors discussed what they’re doing about West Coast homelessness during a public forum Wednesday at Seattle University. journalist Joni Balter and Seattle University master of public administration director Larry Hubbell directed the discussion that covered challenges in funding, effectiveness of current and past services and new approaches taken in Washington and California. Though one theme seemed to echo throughout each topic: taking a holistic approach.

“It’s important to talk about how we got here, not just what we do now,” Mayor Murray said. “We did not plan to grow affordably, which is why we’re in this crisis.”

Both cities plan to add considerable amounts of affordable housing this year. Mayor Lee said he plans to add 30,000 new units of housing — half affordable housing for low income families and half affordable housing for the working class. Mayor Murray said he is aiming to build three times the number of affordable housing units currently available in Seattle.

But, with Donald Trump threatening to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities such as San Francisco and Seattle, Balter asked both mayors how they plan to fund their efforts to reduce homelessness.

Mayor Lee has the financial support from private donors, while Mayor Murray is counting on the taxpayers. Last year, he asked voters to double property taxes to fund affordable housing. They passed it with nearly 70% voting “Yes.”

“The city has been incredibly generous,” Mayor Murray said. “If federal government fails to come forward, if the state continues to be paralyzed, we might have to go back to voters again.”

Both mayors agreed that solely offering more affordable housing isn’t the solution though.

“There is no one answer,” Lee said. “If you build more houses, you have to have more jobs… you have to deal with drug abuse…You have to look at the elements of homelessness in the holistic view.”

Murray said he is turning away from sweeps of encampments and focusing on what he called clean-ups, where city workers can identify people that have needs and get them the right services. He said he is also working on finding a way to create supervised drug-injection sites in Seattle to minimize drug overdoses. “We’re not enabling them, we’re keeping them alive,” Murray said.

It doesn’t appear San Francisco will be getting injection sites any time soon, though Lee said he is open to learning more about the idea.

Instead, San Francisco is focused on navigation centers, where the most chronic homeless persons are directed and given access to living quarters, showers, counseling and a secure place for their belongings.

“Shelters aren’t the answer, there is no transformation in lives,” Lee said. “(Navigation centers) are a place to get you ready for permanent housing. I want a result to happen for the person we bring into the navigation center.”

Lee said San Francisco might need as many as 11 centers. Murray is still working on Seattle’s first. He said the project isn’t delayed; they just need more funding.

In addition to Seattle’s first Navigation Center, Mayor Murray said he is working on “changing the shelter situation… lowering the barriers so you don’t have to come in clean, you can bring a partner.”

But even with more affordable housing, new facilities and services, Murray said, unless we address the underlying issues of income equality, racism and drug abuse, we won’t be able to come close to ending homelessness.