Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Response Blog

Homelessness Task Force progress reports

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Response to the RV fire under the west end of the Spokane Street viaduct

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Early this morning, the Seattle Fire Department responded to an RV fire near East Marginal Way South and South Spokane Street. An RV caught fire when the owner attempted to start the vehicle and the fire spread to another RV. SFD extinguished the fire and there were no injuries. The Seattle Department of Transportation inspected the bridge and found no structural damage.

Last week, the City worked to remove a nearby tent encampment along the bike trail adjacent to the north end of where Spokane Street meets the West Seattle Bridge, as well as clean trash all along the Spokane Street corridor. Secondary to that effort, the City has been working on a plan to move the RVs and tents camping under the Spokane Street viaduct with the goal being no camping at all under the viaduct.

While closing the area to all camping will take a bit more time, we are now addressing the immediate hazard where the fire occurred early this morning.

The Navigation Team has been there all morning, doing individualized outreach and offering alternative shelter. For today, we are focusing on removing the two burned out RVs, which will first require moving other RVs and tents in that immediate vicinity to create a safe work zone. The Navigation Team is assisting with moving people a safe distance for that to occur.

Over the next 10 days, the area under the western end of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be cleared of all people and structures and a work zone perimeter will be established to allow SDOT and Seattle City Light to perform repair and maintenance unrelated to today’s fire. Outreach will continue up to that point to work with the individuals living there and find them alternative shelter.

We are beginning to assess the working condition of the RVs and other vehicles all along the Spokane Street as we work to close the area to all camping. Outreach will lead the engagement with any individuals living in tents or RVs.

In general, the City has been focusing its efforts to address the homelessness crisis on working with individuals in tent encampments, especially the ones with the greatest public health and safety concerns for the individuals and the surrounding community. The Navigation Team has been finding success with many individuals, finding solutions that fit their needs and helping move them into safer living situations. Other City crews are addressing the trash related to encampments and illegal dumping in general around the city. This work will continue.

Camping under low bridge structures presents a hazard for this essential infrastructure. In addition to other efforts to mitigate the impacts of the homelessness crisis, including working to move people into alternative shelter and cleaning trash, we will be assessing these low bridge structures around the city and will prioritize efforts to address immediate hazards.

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People and pets living unsheltered

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The Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) often receives calls about animals living with homeless people. Some callers are concerned about the welfare of the animal while others are looking for ways to support these pets and their human companions. SAS responds to each of those calls based on priority level of the individual call and the shelter’s ability to respond with available resources.

Seattle Animal Shelter staff talk with a pet owner living in an encampment. They provided this individual with food and supplies for her cats.

Anytime there is a situation of instability or a lack of resources, there is an understandable concern for any animals involved. However, the situation itself doesn’t automatically translate to abuse and/or neglect. Just as in any part of a community, it is individual situations and actions that contribute to harm of an animal. This is true whether the animal lives in a house or a tent. Often, homeless individuals meet their pets’ needs before their own, and the animals are provided with a level of companionship that some pets living in homes do not see. Likewise, the pets provide their humans comfort as they live in an uncomfortable situation.

Many animals that shelter staff encounter appear to be healthy, friendly, social and well cared for, with strong bonds between the animals and their people. If SAS does have concerns for welfare, depending on the severity and circumstances of the situation, they attempt to provide resources to include spay/neuter certificates and supplies (collars, leashes, crates, food, etc.) and information for low- or no-cost veterinary services. If SAS encounters situations of animal cruelty or abuse, it has the authority to and will enforce the Seattle Municipal Code and RCW related to animal cruelty.

How to help

kittensThere are several resources that help to meet the needs of homeless individual’s pets. One is the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic, a free vet clinic and pet food bank for low-income people. You can learn more about the clinic and donate or volunteer at http://www.doneyclinic.org/.

Another organization doing great work is Furry Faces, a small group that focuses on keeping people with their pets by paying for vet bills or supplies and working with pet owners to find creative solutions to help them keep their pet. Find out more, donate or volunteer at http://www.furryfacesfoundation.org/. Through the generosity of donations, the Seattle Animal Shelter provides spay and neuter certificates to both organizations for distribution to the community.

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Targeting trash along the I-5 corridor

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See more about the City’s overall increased efforts to address increased trash related to illegal dumping and camping throughout the city.

Over the last few weeks, the City of Seattle teamed up with WSDOT to begin a focused and intense cleanup of areas along the I-5 corridor through Seattle. The work began on March 16 around Northeast Ravenna Boulevard at Northeast 65th Street exits to the I-5 southbound and northbound ramps between Northeast 45th and Northeast 50th streets. Over March 25 and 26, work occurred along the I-5 express lanes, while the Dearborn Street on/off ramps and the Sixth Avenue and James Street exit were addressed in the weeks in between.

Tents can be seen up under the I-5 overpass at the 45th Street off-ramp. The City’s Navigation Team offered services and alternative shelter to campers living in these extremely dangerous locations. The area was cleaned up after all individuals moved.

While few people lived in these areas, likely due to the fast-moving traffic and steep hills, a great deal of trash and debris accumulated. In addition to the public health hazards associated with accumulating garbage, the City prioritized these locations because of safety concerns for the people camping there – for example, people were running across the lanes of traffic to access the locations and last year a homeless man lost his life when a drunk driver and ran over his tent along the side of the Northeast 45th Street on-ramp.

Prior to any trash collection, the City’s Navigation Team of specially trained SPD officers and outreach workers went out and contacted the handful of individuals who have camped along this route to offer services and alternative shelter. City staff also offered to store belongings for those on site during advance outreach and on the day of cleanup. Some people moved on before the cleanup began, and others accepted offers of alternative shelter, including one individual who accepted and was moved into one of the tiny houses at a sanctioned encampment.

Navigation Team members walk up to talk to people in tents while City, WSDOT and contracted crews prepare to remove trash along the I-5 express lanes.

This past weekend’s highly coordinated effort along the I-5 express lanes included WSDOT and crews from SDOT, Seattle Public Utilities, Parks and Finance and Administrative Services, as well as private contractors who specialize in handling hazardous material and are trained for accessing steep slopes and other dangerous terrain.

The same hillside along the I-5 express lanes as shown in the photo above, after the large amount of debris was removed.

Some of the areas were quite challenging to reach and crews were working under tight timelines. Given the concerns with high-speeds and narrow shoulders, WSDOT did not open the I-5 express lanes for the morning commute this weekend, which gave crews the flexibility to join forces, mobilize and tackle the large amount of debris along this stretch of the highway. The trash cleanup was completed with enough time left to allow WSDOT crews to address other maintenance needs while the lanes were closed, and the lanes were actually reopened to northbound traffic earlier than planned on Sunday.

Another area cleared of tents and debris.

Over the multi-day cleanup, crews collected trash and debris, including biohazards, needles and abandoned tents – removing 65 tons of garbage in total from all of the sites addressed.

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Cleaning the city

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The City of Seattle has seen a recent increase in complaints about trash and illegal dumping on public property. This increase is attributable not only to encampment residents who have limited means to remove garbage, but also people who are housed, who may find it acceptable to illegally dump unwanted items near encampments or public rights-of-way in general. The City is concentrating on addressing trash and associated public health hazards to provide a cleaner, safer environment for both people living unsheltered and the community at-large.

In addition to providing intensive individualized outreach to people living unsheltered, with the goal of helping them find a stable home, the City is ramping up our efforts to keep our streets, parks and other open spaces clean through the activation of the City’s Emergency Operations Center to accelerate and coordinate our response to the homelessness crisis in Seattle.

For years, individual departments have responded to this issue as it impacts property under their authority, occasionally coordinating efforts. Working together through the EOC, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Finance and Administrative Services, and occasionally WSDOT, are synchronizing the response to quickly address problem areas, both at encampments and on public property where people dump trash. These efforts are integrated with the work of the Navigation Team, specially trained Seattle Police officers and outreach workers who go into unauthorized encampments and work with individuals to get them services and shelter alternatives.

These efforts are in addition to SPU’s long-standing Illegal Dumping program, and several pilot programs launched in 2016 to target specific issues that have increased due to both the homelessness crisis and the growing heroin epidemic. The four programs are described below.

Illegal Dumping Program
For more than 30 years, the SPU’s Illegal Dumping program has responded to reports of junk, garbage or debris left on public property, including roadsides, open streets and paved alleys. Most commonly reported items include TVs and computers; furniture; paints, solvents and other potentially hazardous liquids; tires; garbage; yard waste; and construction debris.

SPU responds within 10 days to reports that come in through the Illegal Dumping hotline and the Find it, Fix it mobile app. In 2016, SPU increased resources to the program to decrease response times through a faster intake process, triage protocol for reports and use of contractors for pick-up. In 2016, SPU’s Illegal Dumping program:

  • Received 13,468 complaints about illegal dumping in the city.
  • Removed and disposed of 1,205,870 pounds of illegally dumped material (includes litter).
  • Cleaned approximately 5,022 illegal dumping locations.
  • Removed and recycled 65,687 pounds of illegally dumped material.

Encampment Trash Pilot Program
Provides both scheduled and on-call trash pick-up services to unsanctioned homeless encampments identified in partnership with Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) and Human Services Department (HSD). The sites are chosen based on: safe access for vendors; safe conditions for encampment residents; ability for outreach staff to engage encampment residents; trash clearly identified as garbage and separated from any personal possessions; trash for collection located away from the encampment and on a public right-of-way; site not immediately scheduled for FAS to remove the encampment. For both scheduled and on-call pick-ups, a contracted outreach provider (REACH) works directly with the site occupants on the logistics of the pick-up site.

Currently, four unsanctioned homeless encampments are being serviced weekly, and numerous sites are serviced as needed through on-call trash pick-up service. Bulky items (e.g., couches, etc.) will be picked up as part of these services. Because the sites are serviced by haulers on commercial collection routes and mixed in with other pick-ups, we cannot identify the volume collected at these specific sites.

These services are separate from collection of trash following a scheduled encampment cleanup.

Sharps Collection Pilot
The City of Seattle sharps collection pilot program provides safe disposal of “sharps” (syringes, needles and lancets) with the following services:

  • Removal of sharps from public property within 24 hours of a report (began August 2016).
    • Reports come in through the Find it, Fix it mobile app and the Illegal Dumping hotline.
    • Needle response is seven days per week.
  • Installed secure sharps disposal boxes in six locations throughout the city (began December 2016); plus six small boxes installed in some Parks comfort stations in February 2017.
    • Two large boxes on the public right-of-way and four at Parks locations.
    • Currently boxes are serviced at least weekly.
    • As the pilot grows, frequency of pick-up and installation of more boxes may happen.

As of March, 21, 2017, SPU collected 5,675 syringes from drop boxes and on public property in response to complaints since the pilot began.

Litter Abatement Pilot
Provides enhanced services to address litter and its impacts on a community in partnership with community groups and Business Improvement Associations. Beginning in July 2016, additional solid waste services were provided in three neighborhoods – ID/Chinatown, Little Saigon and Ballard – through the end of January 2017, at which time the services were transitioned over to the community partners. A second phase for the pilot is being planned for 2017, with services being continued in Little Saigon and expanded into one or two additional neighborhoods. Levels of service are determined by the amount of litter in the neighborhoods and input from community partners.

The enhanced services include:

  • Increased area and frequency of litter clean-up, including sweeping of streets and sidewalks, removing accumulations of litter from the tops of litter cans, and sharps collection.
  • Increased Illegal dumping pick-up from the neighborhood core and sidewalk area.
  • Increased pressure washing of the sidewalks.
  • Clean-up of targeted alleys, including pressure washing and increased grease tank servicing.
  • Outreach and education to retail and food service businesses, and multifamily on food waste, recycling, composting and garbage services.

In 2016, the pilot resulted in: 772 bags of trash removed, 105 bulky items removed, 610 sharps collected, 271 overflowing trash cans cleaned up, and 106 pressure washings conducted.

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Addressing trash and tents under the Spokane Street Viaduct

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On March 23, a woman reported being confronted by a stranger at Spokane Street and East Marginal Way, as she rode her bicycle along the trail under the West Seattle Bridge. While the City was already scheduled to address trash in this area next week, in light of this unfortunate and potentially dangerous encounter, we are stepping up the response.

Seattle City Light was notified in December 2016 that the lights were out along the viaduct near the bike trail. City Light was able to determine that the issue wasn’t as simple as replacing bulbs, but is related to the power supply and requires a completely re-engineered system. Additionally, during an inspection on Tuesday this week, City Light crews discovered the copper wires for the lighting system had been removed from a ground vault. Design work has begun to replace the system, but City Light’s progress has been delayed due to the encampment that has been established there, which has prevented engineers from fully accessing the area to design the system.

Next week, the City will begin to address this by removing the tent encampment along the northern bike trail under the Spokane Street Viaduct, beginning on March 29. The City’s Navigation Team will be there on Monday to begin connecting with individuals living in tents, offering services, alternative shelter and storage of belongings. Following those efforts, City crews will remove any trash left behind from the encampment. This work will require bike detours, so bicyclists should be prepared to dismount and walk their bikes in some areas.

Also beginning March 29, as had been planned, City crews will remove garbage all along Spokane Street from I-5 to the West Seattle Bridge. Please be aware there may be impacts to traffic as a truck will be doing rolling stops along the route to collect the trash. This work is will continue Thursday, March 30.

 

While the tent encampment at the north side of Spokane Street adjacent to the bike trail will be removed next week, the City is still working on a plan with those living in the unauthorized encampment and RV parking area underneath Spokane Street. Trash around that RV lot will be removed.

 

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City Updates Encampment Removal Rules

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The number of people living unsheltered in encampments has increased substantially in the last several years. Unauthorized encampments sometimes obstruct the normal use of public property and sometimes are health and safety hazards for encampment occupants and the general public. Removing unauthorized encampments reduces their impact on the surrounding community but also disrupts the lives of the already vulnerable people living in them. Since 2008, the City has had specific rules for the removal of encampments that balance providing services and alternatives to people living in encampments with the health and safety benefits of removing encampments.

The City finalized new encampment removal rules on March 15, 2017, with an effective date of April 3, 2017. During those three weeks, the City will train all staff and contracted workers on the new rules. Where possible and permitted by current rules, the City will implement the new rules earlier. For example, the City is already using the criteria for prioritizing encampment sites for removal, and placing written notice on or near each tent or structure that will be removed.

  • FAS Encampment Removal Rule. This rule describes how and when the City will remove encampments.
  • Multi-Department Administrative Rule. This rule harmonizes the administrative process by which individuals may be excluded from City property and requires City departments to follow the FAS Encampment Removal Rule (above) when removing an encampment.

In summary, the rules outline the City’s process for:

  • Prioritizing encampments for removal.
  • Providing notice when an encampment is scheduled for cleanup.
  • Offering outreach and alternative shelter options.
  • Cleaning up an encampment site.
  • Collecting, cataloguing and storing personal belongings and how individuals can recover their property.
  • Immediately removing obstructions and immediate hazards.
  • Identifying and specifying emphasis areas that will be subject to daily inspection and immediate removal of any encampment-related materials.

See more on the Unauthorized Encampments web page.

Background

In 2016, Mayor Murray formed a Task Force on Unsanctioned Encampment Cleanup Protocols to make recommendations on changing the encampment removal rules. In October 2016, he announced the Bridging the Gap to Pathways Home plan. This plan increases short-term support to people living without homes while longer-term strategies are reorganized. The plan also called for rewriting the rules for removing encampments.

The City published draft rules on Jan. 31, 2017, and as part of the rule-making process, solicited public comment on the proposed rules. The City has made a variety of adjustments to the rules to incorporate ideas provided in public comment, including:

  • Specifically including personal paperwork and identification in the definition of personal belongings, which belongings the City will store when it is safe to do so.
  • Requiring that notice of encampment removal be verbal as well as written when possible.
  • Clarifying the definition of an obstruction and of an immediate hazard.
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Royal Brougham encampment cleanup — the day after

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Due to public safety concerns and serious health hazards, on March 7, the City closed the Royal Brougham encampment. An estimated 37 encampment residents were on location when the City’s Navigation Team and other outreach workers arrived at 7 a.m. A total of eight organizations provided supportive services to the encampment residents, including:

  1. Healthcare for the Homeless
  2. Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC) HOST & Crisis Solutions Team
  3. Evergreen Treatment Services REACH Program
  4. LEAD Program
  5. Seattle Union Gospel Mission – Outreach Team
  6. Salvation Army
  7. SPD – Navigation Team Unit
  8. Seattle Fire Department

A tent was set up, staffed with various care providers, including nurse, outreach workers, housing coordinators and case managers. In the tent, encampment residents had access to seating, water, hand warmers, hats, mittens, donuts, sandwiches and hot chocolate.

March 8, the day after: workers begin to clean up debris and garbage left behind after the Royal Brougham encampment closure.

While the scene at the site today is still very grim, all encampment residents received offers of services and many accepted referrals and offers. Below is a recap:

Individual Kind of Referral/
Supportive Service		 By Organization Outcome Notes
Adult Male Mental Health SPD (Officer Newburn) & DESC DESC – Crisis Solutions Center was called out to assess client Evaluated and transported to Crisis Solutions Center
Adult Male SUD Salvation Army NW William Booth Center Intake Completed
Young Adult Couple (M&F) Housing UGM Transitionally Housed in Motel Working with MID to secure housing
8 Adults
(M & F)		 Housing Assessments REACH Completed VISPDAT Are on waitlist for housing
1 Adults Mental Health DESC-HOST Evaluated for HOST Program. Outreach to follow.
3 Adult (Females) Housing REACH Referred to Hammond House
1 Adult Male Veteran Services REACH Connected with Vet. Case Manager. Will be working with REACH case manager
3 Adults
(1 Male, 2 Females)		 Storage & Reconnect with Family Salvation Army Possessions transported and taken to storage. Pursuing reconnection with family and more permanent housing arrangements. Potentially with family.
1 Adult Male SUD REACH Referred to Seattle Indian Health Board
3 Adults Identification REACH 1 Completed the process 2 have appointments with REACH case manager for securing state ID
3 Adults Case Management REACH Reconnected with DESC-SAGE Case Manager Contact was made with case managers by REACH outreach staff for reconnecting clients.
3 Adults Family reconnection REACH Interested in bus tickets to return to be with family and supports They are going to get in touch with REACH to determine an exact date.
1 Adult Male Shelter REACH Tent purchased for individual Individual’s tent was damaged.
7 Adults Medical Healthcare for the Homeless 2 people’s feet warmed.
2 people’s hands warmed.
1 assisted with complaints of chest pain (refused to go to hospital).
1 connected with primary care physician and educated on glaucoma.		 Healthcare for the homeless nurse provided medical services in addition to education and outreach. Schedules for Mobile Medical van were passed out.
5 Adults Relocation REACH Assisted in relocating to various new locations At new outdoor locations

Please note: Some individuals accessed services from multiple agencies.

In addition to services provided to the people, the Seattle Animal Shelter checked in with pet owners on site and reported all nine cats they saw appeared healthy, plump and well-cared for. They also provided supplies, including:

  • Provided temporary housing for a mother cat and two kittens while their owner transferred to a different location. Later in the day, shelter staff returned the cats to their owner and provided him with a carrier, two cat beds, spay/neuter certificates, 36 cans of cat food and a one-year cat license.
  • Provided the owner of a mother cat with five kittens a 16-lb. bag of food, 18 cans of cat food, two plush beds, spay/neuter certificates, six collars, six harnesses and two collapsible travel water bowls.

An encampment resident asked the City to store his grill. It was catalogued and will be stored for at least 60 days.

Finally, approximately 18 people accepted the City’s offer of storage of personal belongings and one person has already made an appointment to pick up his items today. Including unclaimed items left behind, a total of 55 storage bins of belongings and other large items like grills were delivered to the City’s storage facility yesterday. Belongings will be held for at least 60 days and can be recovered by calling 206-459-9949.

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The Navigation Team

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Navigation Team Feb 2017

The City of Seattle has launched the Navigation Team–a specially trained team comprised of outreach workers paired with Seattle Police Department (SPD) personnel, to connect unsheltered people to housing and critical resources, while helping address pervasive challenges around the issue of homelessness in Seattle.

The team has begun working with unsheltered people who have urgent and acute unmet needs, and will serve as the primary access point for people to be served by a forthcoming low-barrier Navigation Center.

 

Going over the day’s outreach plan – Feb 8 2017

The Navigation team is staffed by both outreach professionals from REACH and specially trained Seattle Police officers selected specifically for the unique role.

 

This team has advanced certification in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques that lend themselves to the daunting tasks of reaching those most in need. The purpose of the team’s approach is to bring more people inside and create faster resolutions to hazardous situations.

SPD Navigation Team members conducting outreach in severe terrain under I-5

 

They’ve begun working with unsheltered individuals who have urgent and acute unmet needs, including people who relocated from the I-5 East Duwamish Greenbelt and Mercer/Eastlake Corridors.

 

“The Navigation Team is working with people living with the most severe challenges, such as ongoing opiate addiction or mental health issues,” said Mayor Murray.

 

Nav Team meets with campers

“This population of people living unsheltered are too often found in dire circumstances, in unauthorized encampments where they are more vulnerable to serious criminal activity.

 

Our outreach must focus on these specific challenges to achieve the goal of moving people living unsheltered into stable, permanent housing and helping them get back on their feet.”

 

 

Nav Team members traversing trails under I-5

Check back here to meet the Navigation Team in future posts and find out what motivates them into helping others find a better life.