Recent uncovered lies told by the City of Seattle.
I find it shocking that the City of Seattle would support a “technology grant” over a grant to keep a 400 man shelter going. We are looking for more lies told by the City of Heartlessness.
The upside is we plan to move level 2 and 3 sex offenders as close to McGinn and City Council homes as a gesture of thanks.
…and Ghost begins!
Posted by Riya Bhattacharjee on Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 9:19 AM
At least one group of people aren’t happy with Seattle chef Tom Douglas’s plan to roast salmon at Steinbrueck Park. The homeless advocacy group SHARE (Seattle Housing And Resources Effort) sent out a statement Friday saying that the event is a guise to chase the homeless community away from the park. Douglas announced in May that he wants to host a weekend Salmon night starting August to raise money for reducing crime and panhandling from Victor Steinbrueck Park, which is across the street from his restaurant Etta. The park is currently a magnet for homeless people as well as tourists. Douglas was among a group of business owners who asked the Seattle City Council in April to pass an aggressive panhandling law because it was driving tourists away.
SHARE decided to sell wieners at the park every time Douglas sold his $12-a-plate salmon. “We want to exercise our free speech rights and raise money toward building shelters,” says Beatrice Friberg of SHARE. “Tom Douglas wants to sell salmon and spend the profits on security—that is, chasing poor people out. We believe that the only safety issue in this is that of those homeless people who do not have a safe shelter to go to at night.” Calls to Douglas’s corporate office for comment were not returned immediately.
Friberg says that SHARE was denied a permit for a wiener sale twice from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department. “Their reason to deny us a permit the first time was that we did not put down an exact date and instead wrote ‘whenever Tom Douglas holds a salmon bake,’” she says.
Parks and Recreation spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad says that SHARE’s permit was denied a second time because the department doesn’t issue two permits for the same park for the same day. “They [SHARE] said they want to do events on the same day as Tom Douglas, and then Tom Douglas chose a date,” Hammerstad says. “He filed an application to serve some food on August 28, and we can’t have another event on that date.” Hammerstad says that SHARE is welcome to be there during the Salmon bake. “The park is open to everyone, no one is excluded from being in the park,” she says. “They can always file a request for a permit for another day—we can’t give them a carte blanche yes, but we can review their request.”
SHARE says this is just another example of how the city treats its homeless population. “We will not be able to exercise our right to free speech whenever Mr Douglas exercises his,” Friberg says. “It seems that the line between rich and poor has been drawn and that once again, the haves will prevail over the have nots.”
Friberg says that the homeless population was becoming more and more “invisible” in the city. “Mayor McGinn has not met with SHARE six months after taking office despite hundreds of petitions and numerous requests,” Friberg says. “We want to know why.” Aaron Pickus, spokesperson for Mayor Mike McGinn’s office, could not confirm SHARE’s story and says he will look into the matter.
By Doc
With Barack Obama now deemed public enemy #1; what about ol’ Mike McGinn. Will he wind up like POTUS? We think he will! Since Obama’s election campaign promises of visible government decisions-bill postings on the internet, we have seen more invisibility in the federal government in the last several months than we comfortable with.
So looking at Mike’s Election Website, his promises have kind of disappeared in recent months. Let’s look at the vague promises of a man who just after the “chief liar of Seattle” (Nickels) left public office:
Issues – Homelessness and Social Services
More than 8,000 Seattleites are homeless. At a time when so many of us are feeling adverse economic effects, we owe it to each other to evaluate what we can do to make these times a little easier on our most vulnerable fellow citizens. It is important that Seattle develop a more effective model for addressing homelessness; such a development will require a change in the way the city relates to its homeless citizens. But we can only begin to effect this change when we acknowledge that we must meet people where they are and not expect every individual to fit into the same doorway.
The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness
The City of Seattle was among several of America’s major cities to implement a 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. Now that we are several years into that plan it is time to take a good, honest look at our progress. The plan dedicated the majority of its funding to permanent housing while slowly diverting funding from emergency and transitional programs. Permanent housing is the paramount end goal, but current economic conditions require a reprioritization of assistance for the thousands of men and women who sleep every night on the street or spend their mornings walking around downtown. To do this we must:
• Increase transitional and emergency shelter funding.
• Expand funding for daytime hygiene drop-in centers and community centers.
• Relax restrictions on public library access that specifically target homeless families.
• Reevaluate city policies of dubious public safety efficacy that specifically target the homeless.
• Expand funding and reduce restrictions on the city’s REACH teams to make it easier to find and place the homeless encamped into shelters.
• Support the present Housing Levy and initiate future efforts to expand the stock of affordable housing.
Create A Multi-Service Center in Seattle
One way to expand the human services that the city provides without any additional cost is to create a more efficient way to provide those services. A number of cities, notably Phoenix and San Diego, have created Multi-Service Centers that house the majority of homeless services under one roof. This will take some time, but with well-deployed technology, it would be possible to accomplish a temporary “virtual” Multi-Service Center that connects the many nonprofits throughout the City. These organizations have traditionally had little to no communication and coordination.
• Create a temporary “virtual” system that connects all city funded nonprofit organizations in the city. This will provide for instant and up to date information on shelter beds available, services provided, and goods that have been donated for use.
• Begin search for a site slightly north or south of downtown that will be able to house a myriad of homeless services such as shelter referrals, healthcare, mental health treatment, and work search assistance.
Expand Temporary Emergency Solutions
While the ultimate goal may be permanent housing for homeless citizens, it is imperative that we acknowledge the human beings sleeping on the street every night while waiting for it to be built. By expanding temporary emergency solutions we can prevent incidents such as the 34 human beings who died outside in 2008 and the 29 that have already died in 2009. To expand temporary housing we not only need to restructure the city’s funding as mentioned above, but we also need to reach out to organizations in the city that have been providing emergency services below cost already.
• Publicly acknowledge that despite the previous administrations stance there are not presently enough shelter beds to house every single homeless person in Seattle.
• Expand the City’s Severe Weather Shelter to serve a regularly consistent time during the winter and not be weather dependent.
• Work to determine a location for a temporary emergency housing until the City has caught up on its housing and shelter space.
Expand Public Health and Nutrition services.
During the ongoing national debate about healthcare, the high cost of emergency room visits has emerged as a symbol of the urgent need for better preventative care. Many of these costly visits result as much from the expense of preventative care as they do from the lack of health insurance among the homeless and working poor. These vulnerable populations are exposed to harsh weather, poor hygiene, unclean conditions, and inadequate nutrition. Preventative care of the utmost importance for such citizens, and I will take the following steps toward the goal of making it more available.
• Work with King County to maintain Public Health services during this time of budget shortfalls.
• Expand voucher programs that allow working poor families to access Farmers’ Markets.
• Fund healthy nutrition program for city-funded shelters.
I’m not running to be Mayor of “That’s Not My Department.” Seattle needs an advocate who will fight at every level for Seattle’s citizens, and I will be that mayor.
As you can see there are already discrepancies in the voice of Mike McGinn with the passage of the “panhandlers law” and indications from Mikes office that he does not plan to build permanent residences for those whom sleep on the street or outside. Is he going to become like Barack?
Well Mike? There’s a fly in your soup!
![The.Wizard.of.Oz.1939.m-720p.x264-copasetic[(125112)18-09-02]](http://thiswayupseattle.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/the-wizard-of-oz-1939-m-720p-x264-copasetic12511218-09-02.jpg "The.Wizard.of.Oz.1939.m-720p.x264-copasetic[(125112)18-09-02]")
By KIRO Radio Staff
Nickelsville is being asked to move again.
The makeshift shelter set up in West Seattle at 2nd Ave. SW and West Marginal Way SW was granted a two-week extension, but that ended Monday.
“Now they’re waiting to see if there’s another location to go to, but they need time to do that and they’re running out of time,” said Revel Smith, a Nickelsville spokesperson.
Nickelsville’s website claims the encampment has received two eviction notices, one from the City of Seattle and another from State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. The city’s notice says the state has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to deal with the violation. The WSDOT’s notice gives the camp 72 hours (from 7 p.m. July 20) to vacate the property.
Officials told campers they are violating city of Seattle health and safety codes.
The Transportation Department says if residents decline the social services offered to help them move, State Patrol troopers will become involved on Thursday evening.
The new spot, on DOT land, is very close to the location it was built on last September, a city lot. Its recent moves include locations in Discovery Park and a church lot in South Seattle.
“They’ve moved so many times and what they’re looking for is a permanent site,” said Smith.
Zero-housing-Zero-shelter and Zero-Governor
This morning’s ruling is just a start of new trouble. Eight homeless now file a new suit against the state for lack of help. Another group has armed themselves-just this morning. With no other place to turn, homeless are now headed to jail or simply die fighting. A recent deaths in the jungle, a greenbelt in Seattle, now has both advocates and homeless concerned.
By TIM KLASS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SEATTLE –
A federal judge on Thursday refused to block the eviction of Nickelsville, a homeless encampment named for Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez issued his decision on a court computer system. He adds that he’ll give his reasoning in a written order. About 70 residents have been ordered to leave an undeveloped lot owned by the state Transportation Department by 7 p.m. Thursday. Their lawyer, Robert S. Siegel, wrote that without an order blocking the eviction, their constitutional rights would be violated. Siegel and Assistant Attorney General Bryce E. Brown Jr. did not immediately return calls for comment. Nickelsville was established in September. It has moved to a number of sites since then.
Recently, the organizers of Nickelsville filed suit against the state of Washington because the state wouldn’t make appropriate accommodations for them. Numerous attempts over the last year have ended in near tragedy.
Today, the homeless are not any closer to getting housing in Seattle, than they were ten years ago. In 2007, I was arrested for simply trying to sleep on WADOT property by Paula Hammonds.
In 2003, a plan was announced that fed the homeless with false hope-the ten year plan. In 2006, the plan was signed by the coalition, but today, there is no housing. Six years later, the Ten-Year Plan-now referred to as the ten-year debate, will live on in infamy as the Ten-Year Lie. Who should we blame?
Nearly two years ago, the person who promised that plan, Greg Nickels, pushed the homeless out of the city-in fact planned to criminalize those who sleep outside. To perpetuate this, he would first build a new jail.
After careful consideration, I am taking steps see that this doesn’t not happen to me again, or anyone else for that matter.
In one week, I will lead the homeless with several legal injunctions targeting the criminalization and restoration of civil liberties. The purpose of this is to re-establish a much larger Ten Year plan with a much shorter time frame.
Jeff Harwood
National Director,
Homeless Underground
July 22, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Another update just in from a spokesperson for the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville,” currently set up on state-owned land along the eastern edge of West Seattle (2nd SW/Highland Park Way), and under orders to clear out by Thursday night:
Yesterday Attorneys Robert Siegel and Peggy Herman filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in Federal District Court. Judge Richard Martinez said he will issue an order either today or tomorrow. He has decided not to hold a public hearing before issuing his decision.
If Judge Martinez grants the TRO request, Nickelsville will have up to 2 weeks before a second hearing. At a second hearing a permanent order might be granted. If Judge Martinez does not issue a Temporary Restraining Order, at 5:00 PM Thursday Nickelsville and arriving supporters will load-up vehicles and trucks, in which case Nickelsville has asked the State to allow up to 12 PM Friday for people who have chosen to leave to leave, and for people to be given the opportunity to move both their own and Nickelsville community property.
Nickelsville’s residents who commit to stay through the arrival of Police, should this happen, will not be verbally abusive or disrespectful to either those issuing the orders, or those carrying them out.
“It is our opinion that it is both wrong and illegal to remove this community from this permanent site without having another permanent site available. Contrary to some claims, no church or other property owner has offered Nickelsville a site to go to. It is true that a temporary site is not suitable for our community. Our goal is to survive and solve homelessness with this stable, functional alternative, and not suffer continual disruption.”
Doc
Watching the watchers is the name of the game as we head into the months of the city elections. For the most part we can say that Businesses at the Seattle Center like to break the law as we begin documenting activity of meanness there. For the next sixteen weeks, Deltas will be armed with radio’s and cameras (something they are used to) documenting interaction between the homeless and Businesses that allege that the homeless are hurting business. Businesses recently allege that the economy was not reponsible for the loss in business, but the homeless are.
With a lot of finger pointing-all of which points toward the downward economy, not the homeless, has created the latest controversy. A few years back, businesses in Philly lost legal claims in court; as did New York City and Chicago. All three cites lost their case. With owners adding harassment to long list being documented, who would have thought that the recon team would compile mountains of information against the followers of the tyrant Nickels. Today is a good example of such documentation.
Businesses at Seattle Center are purposely trying to eject the homeless. Advocates there will be prepared for a long battle including legal challenges and bad press. Let greater good come from the evil hearts of those whom choose risky investments. If the battle goes legal then it will put to rest some of the myths about the homeless in Seattle.
While the tyrant Greg Nickels runs for his third term in office, the third term isn’t always the charm. Recent voice emitted from the city attorney’s office asserted that the city has a right to manage homelessness. O.K., I’ll buy that for now, but read on.
Greg Nickels manages nothing but the death of the homeless. Recently, King County buried more than two-hundred and nine low income but most of those were homeless according to an article in the Seattle Times:
Unclaimed remains of 209 people buried in Renton
Most were homeless but some lived alone. Some died of violence, others by accident or disease or overdose. Some left family, for others no relatives could be found. A few left strong memories.
RENTON, Wash. -
Most were homeless but some lived alone. Some died of violence, others by accident or disease or overdose. Some left family, for others no relatives could be found. A few left strong memories.
What they had in common was that no one claimed their bodies after they died.
On Wednesday, a few dozen people gathered at Mount Olivet Cemetery in this Seattle suburb to pay final respects to the 209 people whose cremated remains were each wrapped in plastic with an identifying tag and placed in a group vault with a headstone reading: “Gone but not forgotten these people of Seattle.”
“(As we see) how many people who are suffering bad breaks beyond their control – losing their homes, losing their jobs, losing their health insurance – the lines of distinction between the people we’ve come to lay to rest today and all the rest of us are getting fuzzier,” said Gary Johnson, representing the King County medical examiner’s office, which arranges the burials of unclaimed remains.
“These members of our community were more like us than not,” Johnson said. “They deserve to be remembered.”
Similar group burial ceremonies were held nearby in 2005 and 2007.
Of the dead, 150 were men, 55 were women, two were unidentified people whose ashes were found in abandoned urns and two were baby boys.
Jack Atwood, a former Oregon logger who died on May 11, 2006, was remembered well by Mary Larson, a nurse at the Pioneer Square Clinic, although she hadn’t seen him in years.
Larson said Atwood, wearing bright red suspenders, occasionally would stop at the clinic to say hello. On one visit he brought a chain saw, which he said was part of a collection he had assembled despite being homeless for a time.
“He was so proud,” she said. “There he was with the biggest chain saw I’ve ever seen, just grinning.”
Anitra Freeman, a formerly homeless poet, said she was friends with some of the deceased. She said Paula Anne Gunn, who found housing just before dying in July 2006, shared a street corner with Julio Delgado, who died in November 2006.
“Every human being is important and we need to remember that to solve homelessness,” said Freeman, a member of Women in Black, which conducts vigils for women who die on the street or from violence.
She now has Gunn’s unfinished crocheting and photographs, one showing her being hugged by a young woman with dark hair – her daughter, perhaps.
“Paula was a very strong woman,” Freeman said. “She could be a stubborn woman. She didn’t give to just anybody, but to most people she was very generous.”
Laura Schoenfeld was a quiet, gray-haired woman, who lived on the streets and died on May 16, 2007, said Brigid Hagan, who also attended the burial.
“She was sweet and gentle and kind, even when things were chaotic,” Hagan said.
The county’s Indigent Remains Program, operating on a $150,000 budget, kicks in after the medical examiner’s staff cannot find anyone to claim a body after checks with hospitals, emergency shelters, landlords, social service providers, even return addresses on mail delivered after a person dies.
Some whose remains go unclaimed indicated on forms or applications that they had no relatives, and others “lived alone and pretty much did everything alone and kept to themselves,” said Joe Frisino, a death investigator.
The remains of each are kept separate in case a relative comes forward to claim the ashes after they have been buried. Frisino recalled helping a woman get the ashes of her brother years after he died.
“I think it’s something that is appreciated,” Frisino said.
Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company
In 2005 and 2006, King County was accused of selling the remains of those that died to offset the cost of the Medical Examiners and the Morgue.
The Homeless Management System isn’t perfect; in fact, nowhere near. It’s a tool of hate, denial and meanness. It has totally redundant features.
During the next four years while Greg Nickels continues warm his well cushioned behind, we will endeavor to continue to make him squirm as his cronies are exposed as a hate tool to run off the homeless from the downtown area. With his meanness exposed and using counter campaigns, we can only hope that the Mayor will resign with dignity-rather than an impeachment-in either case it is the goal of all goals to eliminate a tyrannical sociopath.
VFBA members took a vote two night’s ago to end the hate campaign that has both Homeless and Homeless Veteran’s pinned down and hunted like wild animals.
Recently, City of Seattle imposed “curfew” like circumstances in which bikes became gangs and a constant police presence downtown area. Mayor Nickels continues to push the new city jail on residents. The new jail has become a controversy-in which the Mayor will use the jail to house chronic homeless.
VFBA has proposed a new action called chaos.
- city council seeks your input on multi-family tax break giveaway plan
- a windfall for developers with no public benefit
- plan will spur still more displacement and loss of neighborhood character
Everyone old enough to pay rent knows that the lack of affordable housing in Seattle has reached crisis proportions. Yet in response to the removal of several thousand low-income housing units in our city to condo conversion, demolition, speculation and redevelopment, the mayor wants to give subsidies and incentives that will spur still more of the very kind of development and speculative activity that has caused this loss in the first place.
If the mayor has his way, a program now limited in scope called the Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program (MFTEP), would be extended to nearly every neighborhood of the city and renamed the Seattle Homes Within Reach Program.
The old plan was bad enough. Even though the majority of renters in Seattle need housing priced at or below one third of their monthly income or 60 percent of median – roughly $890 a month for a one-bedroom unit – the MFTE gives away 10 years of lucrative tax breaks in selected areas of the city while requiring developers to set aside only 20 to 25 percent of these new units for households at 70 percent of median income – about $1,040 per month for a one-bedroom unit. That cuts out a lot of Seattle renters right there.
But under the mayor’s new proposal, developers need only set aside 20-30 percent of their new units at rent levels affordable to those with incomes between 90 and 100 percent of median. With vacancy rates now expected to drop to record lows of 2 percent, our mayor is going to reward developers who set aside a handful of units at $1,490 a month for a one bedroom unit. That cuts out a whole lot more Seattle renters.
On a 100-unit apartment, a developer would receive about $3 million worth of tax subsidies for renting out 20 to 30 percent of the units at these unaffordable rates – all in the name of “affordability.” Even the housing market without government interference does better than that.
Much has been made of the teachers and firefighters who live outside Seattle because they can’t afford homes in the city. Without discounting this problem, we still wonder about the vast majority of tenants in Seattle who have incomes at or below 50 to 60 percent of median. For them, the set-aside apartments subsidized with our tax dollars are indeed “beyond reach.” A recent meeting in Ballard to discuss this program drew over 150 people. When the crowd was asked who in the room could afford one of these so called affordable set-aside units, not one hand went up.
There are less obvious, but more invidious, problems with this program than the unaffordability of these so-called affordable apartments. By offering this subsidy, the Homes Within Reach program gives developers an incentive to tear down existing lower-density apartment buildings and replace them with larger, much more expensive units. The result is a net loss of lower-cost apartments and more displaced tenants left to compete with other low-income tenants for a dwindling supply of units. Moreover, the proposed tax breaks for new high-end development pass added taxes onto existing lower-priced rentals.
It’s all part of the mayor’s larger strategy of promoting runaway development throughout Seattle. He recently proposed removal of extensive environmental review for market rate housing developments up to 80 units in size (the subject of a recent Geov Parrish column in this paper). And he’ll move soon to add still more allowable residential density in all our neighborhoods via what he’s calling “incentive zoning.” This scheme would reward developers with significant increases in the bulk and height of their buildings, if they agree to “set aside” some of their units at so-called affordable levels – again at 80 percent of median or more – and well above what most current tenants can afford.
Ultimately, the Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program in its present and proposed incarnations makes a mockery of Seattle’s 10-year plan to end homelessness by emphasizing the needs of people with higher incomes over those with much less. The upshot is to shift increasing shares of the city’s housing funds to higher-end and mixed income development and away from those at lower income levels, who currently receive the bulk of those dollars.
It’s not that we’re unsympathetic to the difficulties of families at the median income to find houses they can afford to buy. But they don’t live on the ragged edge of homelessness if their apartment gets converted to a condo or torn down to make way for a more profitable development.
As we’ve noted before in this column, according to the 2006 King County Housing Benchmarks Report, there is a shortage in the county (including Seattle) of over 70,000 rentals affordable to those with incomes at or below 40 percent of median – a monthly rent level of about $600-$800 depending on size of unit. By contrast there is a surplus of over 100,000 rentals affordable to those making between 80 and 100 percent of median income – the type of housing the mayor’s tax break plan would subsidize.
The Mayor’s tax break giveaway plan should be spiked by our city council right now so we can get on with the business of addressing our housing crisis at the root, by adopting laws aimed at limiting conversions and stopping demolition and the gentrification of our neighborhoods.
The list produced by Women in Black, yesterday suggests that management programs introduced by the city has not “practically” reduced the number of recorded deaths in Seattle the last eight years.
A Silent Witnessing Vigil for three homeless men has been announced for:
Join Us
During the recent eight-inches of snowfall the Mayor relied on old city policies whicmay have saved the salmon, but impaired not only the city, but city revenue. Most businesses closed during that time. As for those who were injured or who died in car accidents, this is why sociopaths do not make very good leaders. While the Mayors popularity, once again, takes elevator rides, We would like to remind folks that the malignant personality always thrives on death.
Welcome to Infoshop News
Sunday, December 28 2008 @ 08:04 PM CST
Opening of Seattle’s first public squat
Sunday, December 28 2008 @ 04:45 AM CST
Contributed by: Anonymous
Views: 165
Housing On January 1st, 2009, a new squat will be opening up in Seattle. A rally of homeless residents from the U-District’s Tent City, which the community simply calls “Nickelsville” after Seattle’s Mayor Greg Nickels, will have live music and speakers giving talks on the need for free housing for the homeless and impoverished.
At 12:30 in the afternoon, residents and supporters of Nickelsville will gather to discuss their situation, and at 2:30 all will march to the house we intend on expropriating. As a group we will clean up the house, stuff it full of food and goodies, and secure it for our own use.
The rally is being held on the corner of 15th and 45th at the Tent City at 12:30 in the afternoon on Jan. 1st. Please bring signs pertaining to housing rights, squatting, anti-capitalism, and direct action. Bring noise makers and bring friends!
For contact info in the Seattle area please call:
(206) 850 9626
or email:
team_victory_will_win@yahoo.com
-John
By Doc,
Sunday should be the last night for the city’s overflow says sources within city government as the slams the door in the homeless in Seattle.
As of last night approximately 78 people slept inside Seattle Center’s Pavillion B, ran by the Salvation Army who sends homeless to the street every morning at 4:30. HU has sent several shelter monitors into the shelter system to identify problematic situations involving staff and the homeless. As long as temperatures stay below forty degrees-the shelter system is supposed to stay open; however it is believed that the policy is retractable and this certainly has become a form of hate tool used by the city every year to kill the homeless. There is simply not enough shelters to house everybody.
But, what can we expect from a sociopath for a Mayor. While he sits all comfortable in the well padded seat of his office, one can only wonder about the election this next year.
KUOW News
12/03/2008
The tent city known as Nickelsville will likely move to a new church in Seattle’s University District as early as next week. But the camp will continue to run without authorization from the city. KUOW’s Sara Lerner reports.
UNIVERSITY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LEADERS APPLIED FOR PERMITS TUESDAY TO TEMPORARILY HOST THE HOMELESS CAMP. IT’S KNOWN AS NICKELSVILLE BECAUSE CAMP ORGANIZERS NAMED IT SUCH AS A CRITICISM TO THE MAYOR’S POLICIES ON HOMELESSNESS. REVEREND JIM WHITE IS ALSO CRITICAL OF THE CITY. HE DOESN’T KNOW IF THE PERMITS WILL BE GRANTED, BUT HE SAYS THEY OUGHT TO BE.
WHITE: “I would think that the city would just love it to help us meet the needs of the people. Goodness gracious we save the taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars because we protect the people and the rules that are in place in the encampement. I just think it’s a win win for the city if they wanna help us make that win possible.”
ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND FIGHTING ARE PROHIBITED FOR CAMP RESIDENTS. WHITE SAYS THOSE RESTRICTIONS KEEP THIS HOMELESS POPULATION OFF THE STREETS, AND THEY PROTECT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. BRYAN STEVENS IS WITH SEATTLE’S DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. HE SAYS HE GETS ALL THAT. BUT THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY.
STEVENS: “I understand that providing shelter for homeless is a great thing but the reality is we’ve got folks and other businesses in the area that you’ve got to think about. And camping in the city is illegal. So if we’re going to allow it, we have to maek sure the impacts of that are mitigated properly.”
BY THAT, HE MEANS KEEPING THE CAMP CLEAN AND QUIET. STEVENS DOESN’T SAY THE CITY WOULD DENY THE PERMITS. BUT THIS TYPE OF TEMPORARY PERMIT HAS NEVER BEEN GRANTED IN SEATTLE. AND STEVENS SAYS THE CHURCH WHERE THE HOMELESS CAMP IS NOW, UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN, MAY FACE STEEP FINES FOR HOSTING THE CAMP ILLEGALLY. THOSE FINES CAN GO AS HIGH AS FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DAY – AND THE CAMP’S ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR TWO MONTHS.
EVEN IF THE CITY WERE TO GRANT THE PERMITS, IT WOULD TAKE WEEKS. AND THE HOMELESS CAMP IS SLATED TO MOVE AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES, CONGREGATION CHURCH LEADERS SAY THE CITY WAS HELPFUL AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AS THEY PREPARED THE PERMIT APPLICATIONS.
FOR KUOW NEWS, I’M SARA LERNER.
