Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Task Force progress reports

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Frequently Asked Questions: Proposed South Lake Union Village

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The City of Seattle is hosting a community meeting on Thursday, June 28 at the 415 Westlake event space (415 Westlake Ave.) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. City staff and the Low Income Housing Institute will be present to answer community questions and provide an update on the Aloha Village.

At the community meeting on May 31, neighbors had the opportunity to engage with staff and ask questions. We have posted answers to the questions that we heard most frequently below.

Would a tiny house village at this site screen for sex offender status, active warrants, and/or other criminal history prior to letting people live there?
LIHI will be doing background checks for people staying in Aloha Village.

Are there any environmental concerns about using this site as a housing location?
The City is conducting site testing to ensure that this location can safely host a permitted village.

Why did the City give neighborhood residents such mixed messages about this proposed project?
There is a crisis of homelessness in Seattle. In the response to that crisis, it is important to find a balance between the urgent creation of more safe spaces for people living unsheltered and community engagement.

Mayor Durkan proposed the siting of this village in South Lake Union as part of her plan to serve more than 500 additional people per night. Before the City could implement this plan there had to be site testing, City Council approval of the spending plan, and community engagement. The decision was made to inform the community before all those steps were completed, so that neighbors had as much notice as possible of the proposed plan. We understand that this created confusion and we look forward to learning from this experience to improve community engagement.

How did LIHI get chosen as the operator of this proposed site?
The City has contracted with LIHI since 2015 to provide operations at permitted encampment villages.  The City would like to develop additional provider capacity to provide village operations through technical assistance and open funding processes. Due to the sensitive timeline for expanding beds for individuals living unsheltered however, it wasn’t possible to run a full funding process for this project.

What are the Codes of Conduct for tiny house village residents?
Each village has a Code of Conduct that residents must follow. These documents are publicly available on the City of Seattle’s Homelessness Response website at https://www.seattle.gov/homelessness/city-permitted-villages. Once on the site, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the + symbol next to a location to review the Code of Conduct and other information relevant to that site.

How much does it cost to operate one of these villages?
Costs vary by village and is dependent on a variety of factors. The City of Seattle invests between $204k-$528k per village for operations and services.

Where can community members locate data about neighborhood crime statistics?
Community members can find Seattle crime data on the Seattle Police Department website at https://www.seattle.gov/police/information-and-data/public-data-sets.

How will community member’s questions about this project be answered?
Questions will be answered at the next community meeting on Thursday, June 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 415 Westlake. Information can also be found on the City’s Homelessness Response Blog at https://homelessness.seattle.gov/.

If a tiny house village is sited at this location, how long will it stay in place?
Under the current ordinance, permitted villages on private or public land can operate for 12 months with an option for an additional 12-month extension.

What is the best way for community members give input on this project?
Community members can provide input on this proposed project at the next community meeting on Thursday, June 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 415 Westlake. Community members can also provide input via email at homelessness@seattle.gov. All input received via email becomes part of the public record for this project and will be used to help inform project design.

Will this tiny house village be drug and alcohol free?
The goal of this tiny house village is to provide safer living conditions for people living without shelter and help them to get into permanent housing. With that goal in mind, the village will not exclude residents who come into the program with alcoholism and/or chemical dependency issues. All residents will be required to follow a Code of Conduct that prohibits using drugs or alcohol in communal spaces.  Additionally, each resident will participate in case management services which will connect them to other supports as needed to help them reduce any barriers they face to getting into or maintaining housing.

How do low-barrier tiny house villages work?
The goal of the villages is to be as flexible possible to allow people who have been living outside for long periods of time access to shelter and services and work towards obtaining a permanent place to live. Given that some individuals living unsheltered suffer from alcoholism or chemical dependency, sobriety is not a requirement for living some tiny house villages. The people who chose to live at a village are informed of the program rules and agree to fully participate in case management and community activities. Staff are on site 24/7 to enforce a code of conduct and provide security oversight.

In practice, this means that a person is not expected to abstain from using alcohol or other drugs so long as, (1) they do not engage in these activities in public while in the village and (2) their behavior is respectful of other villagers, staff and community members.

What happens if a tiny house village is sited in this neighborhood and then we start to see an increase in crime?
Crime increases and decreases in neighborhoods can be due to a variety of factors. The Seattle Police Department tracks and analyzes crime on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. If a particular neighborhood sees in increase in crime the Captains are aware of that and are accountable to the Chief of Police to create a plan to address the issues.

Do neighborhoods with tiny house villages get extra police patrols?
Crime data, including any upticks in crime, is taken into consideration when making decisions on where to assign patrol resources. Emphasis patrols have been used to address areas of concern, when warranted.

How did this location get selected as a potential tiny house village site?
The City completed an assessment of available properties to identify those that were suitable and geographically distributed across the city.  Identifying a suitable site while addressing the concerns of the surrounding community is a challenging aspect of developing a permitted village. In addition to the characteristics above, the City assesses a site for environmental considerations to ensure that it can safely host a village and evaluates cost considerations for site preparation (fencing, gravel and soil preparation) and water/electrical hook up.

The City also considers a site’s proximity to services like laundry facilities, governmental offices, food pantries, meal programs, and non-profit agencies and whether it can be accessed by mobile services programs like the Mobile Medical Van and by public transit. Whenever possible, permitted villages are not sited in high-crime areas and we consider whether a program is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and businesses.

What outcomes are attached to tiny house villages?  What are they trying to accomplish?
The goal of tiny house villages is identical to that of emergency shelters; to provide individuals living unsheltered with a safer place to live, connect them to resources, and support them in finding permanent housing. Tiny house villages are tied to the same system-wide performance measures as emergency shelters

How can the community provide ongoing input about this village?
All villages have a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that provides advisory input on operations. Members of the CAC include businesses, community leaders, immediate neighbors, service providers and others. The committee of seven stakeholders meets monthly and meeting notes get posted on the City of Seattle’s Homeless Response website (www.seattle.gov/homelessness). If you would like to serve on the CAC. Please contact Josh Castle at jcastle@lihi.org or Tom Van Bronkhorst at tom.vanBronkhorst3@seattle.gov.  Community members may also provide feedback to the City of Seattle via email at homelessness@seattle.gov.

What is the City of Seattle’s current role in this project?  What would their role be going forward?
The City of Seattle’s Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) department is acting as the general contractor for the two City-owned sites. That team is responsible for the site design, the construction of the structures and the infrastructure/ utilities that are required to operate the site. Once an operator is identified and the site opens the day-to-day management and property maintenance will be handed off to them.

The City of Seattle’s Fire Department, SCDI, and Seattle-King County Public Health would perform periodic, unannounced inspections of the site to ensure all safety codes are being met. Additionally, the City of Seattle Human Services Department would contract with LIHI to provide onsite case management and operations of this village.

What would the staffing plan look like?
A LIHI staff person would be on duty 24/7 to monitor activities and respond to inquiries from both residents and community members. The staff would perform regular perimeter checks, organize trash cleanups, and respond to neighbors. LIHI would also provide an onsite case manager to support residents’ housing search and help connect them to other community supports as needed.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about how we are responding to the crisis of homelessness in Seattle.

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Mayor Durkan proposes “Building a Bridge to Housing for All”

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In her first major legislation, Mayor Durkan proposed “Building a Bridge to Housing for All,” a plan to sale an underutilized City property to address Seattle’s affordability and homelessness crisis. Her plan would leverage $11 million from the sale of an underutilized City property to create urgently needed bridge housing for those in our community experiencing homelessness and to support households on the verge of homelessness, while also reinvesting in essential City services.

“With too many families pushed out the city and too many people living on our streets, we need to take urgent action to help those unsheltered and on the verge of homelessness. Leveraging one City property, we can provide essential services and attack our affordability crisis,” said Mayor Durkan. “There’s no quick or simple solution to solving this urgent challenge, but we can focus our efforts to rapidly deploy cost effective shelters to move people out of doorways and tents and into safer spaces.”

Mayor Durkan’s legislation is co-sponsored by four Councilmembers including Council President Bruce Harrell (District 2, South Seattle, Georgetown), Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle), Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle) and Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“For years, I’ve been committed to creating more emergency housing options, and this investment will make significant progress to build more bridge housing for people on our streets or for those who are struggling on the edge of homelessness. Mayor Durkan’s proposal has strong support from the City Council because it will do what we’ve been trying to do for years: address the affordability crisis from many angles, moving people into and through managed shelter into respectful permanent housing,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“Leveraging the proceeds of this sale to help solve our homelessness crisis is a good and necessary investment. By funding new shelter and housing options and also including a payment to Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), I am happy to see that these dollars would address both short and long term housing needs.  I look forward to learning more about how the proceeds of this sale will help house our unsheltered neighbors and keep people in safe and stable housing,” said Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle).

“I’m proud Mayor Durkan has chosen housing – one of our city’s most obvious and dire needs – as one of her first initiatives as Executive.  I look forward to collaborating with my Council colleagues to further develop this legislation and other bills intended to address our affordability crisis head on, and to meet the needs for women and others who are more exposed and face greater threats than most others when living without shelter,” said Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle).

This one-time investment would leverage $3.5 million for essential City services and $10.7 million for affordable housing, safer spaces for those without shelter, and provide housing stability for households on the verge of homelessness. The sale of the property located at 1933 Minor Ave. is expected to close in summer 2018. Mayor Durkan’s proposal includes:

  • Investing $5.5 million in a Bridge Housing Investment Strategy to increase our capacity to quickly and cost-effectively move people experiencing homelessness to safety through new bridge housing and shelter. Several options of bridge shelter or bridge housing will be examined including but not limited to mass shelter tents, hard sided tents, wood-frame sheds, portable modular bunkhouses or cabins, backyard cottages, and the master leasing of existing apartments. This strategy will kick off with a project to serve chronically homeless women in our community by the end of spring 2018 with additional solutions to be deployed later this year;
  • Investing $2 million to maximize housing options for those on the verge of homelessness by piloting a Seattle Rental Housing Assistance Pilot Program;
  • Reinvesting $2.5 million into our City’s communications capabilities including the relocation of the Seattle IT’s Communication Shop and a new lease;
  • Investing $1 million for design and pre-planning costs for a new Seattle Fire Department facility; and,
  • An upfront Mandatory Housing Affordability payment of $2 million, for affordable housing. The City will be able to leverage the full payment of approximately $7.7 million several times over through other funding sources.

You can view the full “Building a Bridge to Housing for All” Fact Sheet here.

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One stop care: consolidating hygiene with other services to reduce door-to-door-to-door burden

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Imagine traveling with all your belongings piled in bags, and carrying them to one agency for a shower, to another for laundry, and still another for a mat to sleep on. This is what many people experiencing homelessness must do on a daily basis to get these and other needs met.

In 2018, the Human Services Department (HSD) has increased funding for enhanced shelters which offer hygiene services for their clients, plus support like case management, onsite amenities, and extended hours to help consolidate some of the services being offered to people experiencing homelessness.

Of the 1,464 City-funded shelter beds in 2018, 85% are enhanced shelter beds, an increase of 561 over 2017, and 15% are mats-only shelter beds. While some mats-only shelters offer additional services to clients, most do not, which means that many people experiencing homelessness are forced to go door-to-door to tend to basic needs.

The City has increased its investment in enhanced shelters to provide places to rest and tend to daily survival needs. In fact, 21 of 22 shelter programs funded in 2018 will include hygiene services. Across all homeless services programs, 88% of programs provide hygiene support – a 6% increase over 2017.

Helping people find and maintain stable housing is the key to addressing the crisis of homelessness. Because enhanced shelters with services are much more effective than mats-only shelters in helping people find housing, HSD encouraged overnight shelter and day center providers that applied for City funding to work together to provide extended-hours and services to people experiencing homelessness. We are pleased with the providers’ response and creativity to offer these one-stop care locations.

HSD is also supporting the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) Urban Rest Stop program with $540,000 to provide standalone hygiene services, such as showers, toilets and laundry services. These funds support Urban Rest Stop locations in Ballard, the University District, and downtown Seattle.

The City of Seattle is supporting a homeless services system that focuses on helping people find and maintain stable housing. With finite resources, the City is investing in programs, like enhanced shelters, that provide connections to housing for people experiencing homelessness. Programs that do not provide an intentional connection to housing were not prioritized for City funding this year. To help clients transition to other services, HSD has created a bridge funding plan to assist programs that were not awarded 2018 City funding. Two standalone hygiene programs will receive support through March 18, 2018. Because the City is not the sole funder for homelessness programs, agencies may choose to look for funding from an alternate sources to continue providing standalone hygiene services.

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City opens severe weather shelter at Seattle Center

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The City of Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) is opening a cold weather shelter from Friday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, in light of the extended forecast for overnight temperatures around freezing. The Salvation Army will run the shelter, open to all genders, at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (301 Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98109). This shelter will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day and has room for 100 people. No referral is necessary to access the emergency shelter.

“I want to thank the Salvation Army and Seattle Center for their ongoing partnership in operating emergency shelters in very cold weather,” said HSD Deputy Director Jason Johnson, who oversees such services for the department, “and ask that all shelters ensure that all available space is used to help bring people out of the cold.”

The City has notified homeless services providers in the area so they can direct people to the Seattle Center shelter. Download flier for distribution.

The forecast currently calls for below freezing temperatures throughout the week, creating extremely cold conditions in Seattle. For the most current forecast, please visit the National Weather Service website. For more information on how to prepare for winter weather, please visit Take Winter By Storm. Additionally, for up-to-date information pertaining to impacts in the City of Seattle please sign up for AlertSeattle at Alert.Seattle.gov

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City of Seattle announces $100 million in affordable housing investments

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Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced more than $100 million in investments to build and preserve 1,450 affordable homes in neighborhoods across Seattle, including the construction of 896 new homes in nine new buildings. These Office of Housing investments represent a spectrum of different housing types for low-income residents, including permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness, apartments for low-income individuals and families, transit-oriented development, and homes for first-time homebuyers.

“Too many long-time residents are getting locked out and pushed out of Seattle. We need to urgently increase the amount of affordable housing to stop the huge displacement of people and provide permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness,” said Mayor Durkan. “With this investment, our City is delivering on our commitment to create more affordable housing, including building 900 new homes and keeping 550 homes affordable for the next 50 years.”

In addition to utilizing the first year of funding from the 2016 voter-passed Seattle Housing Levy, the Office of Housing’s 2017 investments also include funding from incentive zoning payments, proceeds from the sale of surplus properties, and $29 million in bonds approved by the Seattle City Council. Using additional local and federal resources, the City’s awards for rental housing will support more than $260 million in investments.

“Today’s exciting announcement builds on a 36-year commitment to investing in affordable homes in our city,” said Steve Walker, director of the Office of Housing. “Funding different housing approaches to meet the diverse needs of low-income community members enables working people, families, and those experiencing homelessness to live in and contribute to our city. These are durable investments, offering stability and opportunity not only now, but for at least 50 years into the future.”

The 2017 funding awards will support the construction of nine new buildings (896 apartments), two affordable homeownership sites (26 homes), and the preservation of four buildings (535 apartments) throughout Seattle. A full list of buildings is included below.

“After ten years of work in cooperation with local neighbors, we are thrilled to have the support from the City of Seattle to build Filipino Community Village,” said Velma Veloria, Co-Chair of the Filipino Community Village project and a former state legislator. “The community wanted to create housing to support our elders and we look forward to the village becoming a hub for cultural events like dance and cooking classes and offering an innovative learning center for youth.”

Every year, the Office of Housing provides a notice of funding availability for the Rental Housing Program. Affordable housing developers submit proposals that respond to City priorities. This year’s awards support 12 of the proposals. The Office of Housing’s 2017 investments also include a commitment for two affordable homeownership projects as well as an award for transit oriented development at Roosevelt Station, a partnership with Sound Transit.

Over the last 36 years, the Office of Housing has invested nearly $450 million in the creation and preservation of over 14,000 affordable rental homes. These homes are located in high-quality, sustainable buildings located throughout the City of Seattle. They remain affordable to people with incomes ranging from zero to 60% of the area median income for a minimum of 50 years and provide stability for homeless adults, families, and youth; seniors and people with disabilities; and low-wage working families.

 

More information on the Rental Housing Program and the Seattle Housing Levy can be found at www.seattle.gov/housing.

 

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Mayor Durkan and City Councilmembers announce $1 million to ensure a continuation of homeless services

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Following the completion of the RFP process to focus on longer term housing strategies, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, City Councilmembers, and Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) announced $1 million available to ensure a continuation of homeless services for current providers to ensure no shelters close this winter. With up to six months of funding for all operating shelters in 2017, the City is working with agencies to ensure no current shelter programs serving people experiencing homelessness will close in the upcoming months, including those offering overnight-only programs like those run by SHARE/WHEEL.

“As we double the number of people moving into permanent housing and create more 24/7 enhanced shelter beds and services, we must ensure a compassionate transition for those who depend on current providers,” said Mayor Durkan. “Our City must work relentlessly to move people out of encampments and off our streets into permanent and affordable housing. I’m committed to creating additional short-term shelter, including micro-homes, to provide safer, healthier alternatives to living outside for those experiencing homelessness.”

“I am pleased that all shelters currently funded will remain open this winter. I have heard many fears expressed that under the City’s new investment approach people will be pushed outside into the cold. That is not the case. Rather, the goal is to invest wisely in programs that care for people first – such as enhanced 24/7 shelters and more housing units. The City’s thoughtful bridge funding will get us to summer, and I applaud the work of Mayor Durkan and the Human Services Department in creating a regional system that will house more people respectfully. After all, everyone deserves more than a mat on the floor or a tent on the sidewalk,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

“This critical funding will ensure that current emergency shelter beds for our neighbors experiencing homelessness will continue to be available, while at the same time we transition funding priorities toward 24/7 enhanced shelters for immediate needs. Ultimately, this is a step in the direction of funding permanent housing for those in need, with the support services necessary to keep that housing sustainable,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide).

In November, HSD recently awarded $34 million in homeless investments for 2018 to move more people into housing, and to address racial disparities among Black/African American and Native American/Alaska Native communities. In the funded proposals, providers outlined their strategies to move more than 7,000 households experiencing homelessness into permanent housing in 2018.

For programs that have seen funding changes for 2018, HSD will be allocating resources and transition funds to ensure providers are eligible for short-term assistance while adjusting their operations. The department has assembled $1 million in funding, primarily from savings from projects in other divisions within HSD, staff savings, and other departmental administrative savings. There are 33 programs at 12 agencies who are eligible for transition funds to seamlessly continue operations from 2017 into the new year and for up to six months of 2018, which includes investments to DESC to enhance their shelter program.

“HSD is prioritizing service continuity in the response system even as there are changes resulting from the funding awards,” said Catherine Lester, Director of the Human Services Department. “We are working hand-in-hand with agencies to track each client, and to make sure there are adequate resources for them through this shift. Planning with agencies is beginning this week to determine how much time and funding each program needs to transition their programs to other funding sources or alternate services.”

The first priority is being given to shelter programs that are needed during the winter months. This includes those offering mats-on-the-floor, overnight-only programs like those run by SHARE/WHEEL, who did not receive ongoing funding in the RFP process. This transition time also allows for those shelters that were awarded funds through the RFP process to operate more 24/7-and/or-enhanced-shelters to come into full operation. These enhanced shelters include a place for people to stay inside longer, with fewer restrictions, and with more case workers and support, ultimately leading to moving more people into housing.

Secondly, HSD is providing some funds for programs that provide housing stability services such as rental vouchers for transitional housing, rapid re-housing, and/or permanent supportive housing. HSD is working with agencies offering these services to ensure these clients can remain housed and to identify staff impacts.

Finally, HSD is providing some funding to continue outreach and engagement as the city’s new outreach continuum that the department is organizing comes together. This funding will extend the work of providers such as the Downtown Seattle Association’s outreach team that currently canvases downtown and surrounding areas. Additionally, HSD will continue providing technical assistance as well as work on transition plans with providers such as Women’s Referral Service – Catholic Community Services and Catholic Housing Services to ensure a seamless transition.

Through the RFP process, HSD funded 30 agencies and 98 high-performing programs that will double the number of people moving into permanent housing to more than 7,000 in 2018, up from the 3,026 projected households expected in 2017.

Appeals were made by 15 of the 57 agencies who applied for the Human Services Department’s competitive funding process, which prioritized programs that moved people into housing and focused on the disproportionately-affected Black/African American and Native American/Alaska Native populations. No appeals were upheld.

All applicants for the funding were notified of the award decisions on Nov. 27. Agencies were then able to file an appeal to the HSD Director on technical merits within five business days. The City then had five business days to respond to the appeal. For an appeal to “have merit,” the appellant must have demonstrated that there was either bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest; or that there was a violation of policies, or failure to adhere to guidelines or published criteria and/or procedures. All decisions were finalized within the timeframe established in the submission guidelines.

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Ravenna Woods encampment cleanup recap

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Following multiple outreach visits, the City’s Navigation Team, a group of outreach workers and specially trained police officers, removed an unsanctioned encampment from the Ravenna Woods yesterday. A previous encampment in the same area was removed in July.

Before and after cleanup in the Ravenna Woods.

During inspection and outreach, the Navigation Team observed several large structures, excessive amounts of uncollected garbage and used hypodermic needles, human waste, rats and fire risks. Additionally, the encampment’s placement on a steep slope and near trees was causing damage to the physical environment, as well as risk to the campers themselves, who could be injured by falling limbs. These conditions, which pose risks to the public health and safety of the campers and the surrounding community led to remediation of the encampment. During encampment clean-up, team members found an extension cord spliced into the power-grid of a nearby apartment building, which further raises fire and safety concerns, and is illegal.

Camping is prohibited in City parks, and per City rules governing unsanctioned encampment removals, an unsanctioned encampment in a City park is considered an obstruction that interferes with the use of public property (See FAS Encampment Rule 17-01, Section 3.4.) and can be removed immediately without notice or offers of shelter and storage. However, even with the authority to remove the encampment immediately, the City chose to conduct outreach to campers in hopes of connecting people living unsheltered to services and shelter and provided notice a week in advance of yesterday’s activities.

In addition to verbal notice during outreach, written notice of the impending removal was posted around the site on Nov. 29.

City personnel will work with people to safely store or move personal belongings; abandoned items unsuitable for storage will be removed. During the engagement in the Ravenna Woods, two campers told field coordinators they had collected all they wanted and everything left behind could be discarded. One bike found in the debris was stored.

Unrelated to the Navigation Team’s engagement with the individuals in the encampment, on Monday, Dec. 4, SPD officers from the North Precinct made an arrest in the nearby Ravenna Park. The bike patrol officers were on proactive patrol for the North Precinct and were not present by request of the Navigation Team. Officers did not make arrests in the encampment nor run background checks on individuals, but later recognized an individual in Ravenna Park suspected in felony burglary incidents and made an arrest. For more details on this incident, please contact SPD’s Public Affairs Office at 206-684-5520 or spdnews@seattle.gov.

To learn more about why an unsanctioned encampment is removed, please visit the City’s Homelessness Response Blog. You can also read recent media coverage on the Navigation Team’s approach to outreach here.

Before and after cleanup in the Ravenna Woods.

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Warrant outreach event – Learn how to possibly resolve a warrant without arrest

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Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) encourages anyone with an outstanding SMC warrant to attend the Warrant Outreach event. This event will be held in the community to make it as comfortable as possible for individuals to learn about their options and meet with a public defender without the fear of arrest. Outstanding warrants make it harder to get a job, secure housing and generally move forward in life. SMC will have staff available to answer questions, schedule hearings, and share information on resources and support services available through the court. The King County Department of Public Defense will have attorneys available to answer questions and offer advice.

The event will be held:

Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Yesler Community Center
917 E Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98122

SMC has over 9,400 outstanding warrants. It is anticipated that many event participants will be eligible to have their warrant quashed and the case scheduled for an upcoming hearing to resolve the underlying legal issue.

The Warrant Outreach event is a collaboration between the Seattle Municipal Court, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle City Attorney’s Office, Seattle Police Department, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Seattle Human Services Department.

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Nickelsville Ballard permitted to stay in place until new site ready in mid-December

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Today, the City of Seattle approved an extended permit to allow the Nickelsville Ballard encampment to remain in place on Market Street (2826 NW Market St.) until the new location in Northlake (3814 Fourth Ave. NE) is ready to welcome its residents. The current permit for the Nickelsville Ballard encampment expires on Nov. 18, 2017.

The new Northlake encampment is expected to open in mid-December 2017. It will include tiny houses, necessary amenities like clean water and restrooms, and communal gathering space. The camp will be operated by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and Nickelsville’s self-managed community. Site preparation has begun.

The permitted encampment in Ballard was the first City-permitted encampment opened in fall 2015. It has successfully operated for the past two years serving up to 25 residents at a time. The City has been working since June to find a suitable relocation for the existing encampment, however finding available space was difficult. The City of Seattle made a commitment to Nickelsville and LIHI in August that it would not close the Ballard location until a suitable new location was identified and prepared.

George Scarola, Director of Homelessness, and City staff have attended community meetings in Northlake, canvassed the neighborhood, contacted businesses and spoken with residents to provide information on the upcoming move. The next community meeting is tonight, Thursday, Nov. 16 at the John Stanford Elementary School with the Parent-Teacher Association.

A broader community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 6:30-8 p.m. Community members will have the opportunity to meet with City staff, Nickelsville residents, and camp operators. Please join us at the UW Fisheries Building – Auditorium 102 (1122 NE Boat St.) to learn more.

The Human Services Department released an evaluation of permitted encampments on June 28, 2017 that determined they were an effective strategy to address unsheltered homelessness in Seattle. Seattle hosts six permitted encampments located in North Seattle, Ballard, Interbay, Othello, Georgetown and West Seattle.

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The why, when and how of encampment cleanups

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Homelessness is a large and complex issue. There are many factors contributing to the increase of people living without shelter or those who are at-risk of becoming homeless: Seattle’s skyrocketing rents, the retreat of federal funding for subsidized housing, structural inequalities rooted in systemic racial injustice, a woefully inadequate mental health system, and an opioid epidemic. Seattle is not alone. Many cities along the West Coast are struggling to address this humanitarian emergency as well.

The City is employing several strategies to address the crisis, including creating more affordable homes and temporary safer living spaces, overhauling our system of homelessness services and support, and increasing outreach and assistance to those sleeping outdoors, in abandoned buildings, or in vehicles. None of these strategies will succeed alone. Each can be refined, improved and expanded.

While these efforts continue, the City has a responsibility to address the public health and safety issues that accompany many of the unauthorized encampments around Seattle, which impact the individuals living in the camps and the surrounding community. These efforts are guided by rules designed to balance providing services and alternative living spaces to people with the health and safety benefits of removing unmanaged encampments. In 2017, the City improved these rules, enhanced outreach, and opened two new low-barrier shelters and three new managed encampments. As of Oct. 10, the City has cleaned 143 encampments this year. Through one-on-one engagement, 581 individuals living in encampments have accepted referrals to safer living spaces, including people who were required to leave when an encampment was cleaned up, and those who took advantage of City outreach-only efforts.

Why: Issues that prompt encampment cleanups

Rats living at “The Field” encampment Feb. 24, 2017

Without access to water, sanitation services, trash services and means for proper food storage, these camps put their already vulnerable residents at risk for illness and the city at risk for a disease outbreak. As recently advised by Public Health – Seattle & King County, an ongoing hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego highlights the sanitation and hygiene concerns. As of the past weekend, San Diego reported 18 individuals dead, 386 hospitalized and at least 578 individuals. The conditions in San Diego’s unmanaged encampments encouraged the spread this disease, which can be prevented by regular hand washing and sanitary toilets.

Despite the availability of regularly serviced dumpsters and porta-potties onsite, the encampment known as the Field experienced a proliferation of trash, human waste and rats, which was a primary reason for the camp’s closure and led a Public Health official to declare: “This is about the worst I’ve seen in Seattle. It’s inhumane to allow people to live here.” It is virtually impossible to remediate these extreme conditions without moving campers out of the location. Since March 2017, the City has collected and disposed of nearly 3,100 tons (6.2 million pounds) of garbage and debris from active and closed unmanaged encampments around the city.

Additionally, unsafe structures, open flames and criminal activity create their own hazards. An RV fire last April illustrated the dangers of camping under low bridge structures to both the inhabitants and the City’s essential infrastructure. In many encampments, residents are using flammable materials, like pallets and bedding, and open flames for cooking or as a heat source. The addition of elements like vehicles in poor condition and a cramped space, create real fire risks. Further, while most unsheltered people do not engage in criminal activity, large unmanaged encampments tend to attract negative behavior. Also in April, number of violent crimes, as well as a Seattle Police Department seizure of a cache of handguns and rifles, preceded the cleanup of large encampments along Dearborn Street and Rainier Avenue. In August, a man was killed at a large unmanaged encampment in SODO, and another person has been charged with his murder.

When: Identifying, assessing and prioritizing encampments for cleanup
The City is notified of encampments from members of the public, through calls to the Customer Service Bureau (CSB), reports filed using the City’s online Service Request Form and the Find It, Fix It mobile app, and from City staff out in the field who encounter encampments on City-owned property. City field coordinators visit reported sites to assess and document the situation. Upon inspection, staff may find no evidence of an encampment, illegal dumping (which is then referred to Seattle Public Utilities’ Illegal Dumping program for remediation), an abandoned encampment or an active encampment. For active encampments, field coordinators document the site characteristics (e.g., park, sidewalk, roadway, steep slope, fire hazards, etc.) and observed health conditions (e.g., garbage, human waste, rodents, falling trees or limbs, hazardous materials, weapons, needles, etc.).

Excessive garbage and fires, as seen here, were among the conditions that led to the cleanup of the encampment in the I-90 Cloverleaf near Rainier Avenue in May.

With an estimated 400 unauthorized encampments in Seattle, the City focuses its limited resources on closing encampments that pose the greatest risks to the health and safety of both unsheltered and housed residents. Encampments that manage waste, are not involved in criminal or violent behavior, and do not pose imminent objective safety risks are a lower priority. In many cases, the City helps encampments to manage waste, and organizes regular pickup of bagged trash (see a summary of City programs launched to target specific issues that have increased due to both the homelessness crisis and the growing heroin epidemic).

Since January 2017, the City of Seattle has received more than 4,300 complaints about unmanaged encampments/illegal camping. After aggregating duplicate complaints, we have identified more than 600 reported locations (as noted above, reported locations are not necessarily active encampments, but upon inspection may be found to be misreported, illegal dumping or an abandoned encampment). As of Oct. 10, the City has removed 143 encampments in 2017; site assessments are posted on our website.

How: Humanitarian outreach
Earlier this year, the City adopted new rules that guide all City interactions with people living in unauthorized encampments. In all but the most hazardous situations, the new rules require the City to offer available alternative shelter to all those who are asked to relocate, assistance with moving, storing and retrieving their possessions, and a minimum of 72-hours’ notice that an encampment is to be removed. Even when the most hazardous situations exist, the City offers storage and stores all items that are safe to collect.

These efforts are led by the City’s Navigation Team, comprised of specially-trained Seattle police officers, REACH outreach workers, and field coordinators who work one-on-one with individuals to develop personal plans to get the help they need. The team visits encampments around the city, whether the camp is scheduled for cleanup or not (see Q13 Fox News’ coverage of Navigation Team outreach).

When an encampment is scheduled for removal, the team offers outreach in advance and on the day of the cleanup. As noted above, our rules require offers of alternative spaces, which means the City will not schedule an encampment for cleanup if there are not spaces to refer people to that are immediately available. The team also will transport people and their belongings (or store their belongings) to the places where they are referred.

Where: Increasing temporary shelter alternatives
This year, the City also created new shelter capacity for those who are asked to leave unsafe encampments, which has helped the Navigation Team meet the requirement to offer alternative shelter at the time of an encampment removal. The Navigation Center provides 75 beds to people who have been chronically homeless and need intensive services before they can succeed in permanent housing. Compass Housing Alliance has opened a new, 100-bed, 24/7 shelter that also serves the homeless individuals with the greatest challenges to moving off the streets. Both shelters accept people with pets, partners and possessions – which often are the barriers that prevent unsheltered people from coming inside.

Additionally, the City partners with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), SHARE/WHEEL, and Nickelsville to operate six sanctioned encampments, an innovative approach that combines self-management with professional case management. An evaluation of the first three sanctioned encampments has demonstrated that sanctioned encampments are working to help people stabilize and move on to more permanent housing.