Homelessness Response Blog

Due to increasing public safety and health concerns impacting homeless individuals and the surrounding community, the City will begin working toward removal of the illegal camping that stretches from the I-90 on/off-ramps at Rainier Avenue South (the “Cloverleaf”) north to South Dearborn Street. There have been several fires, multiple reports of violent crimes associated with individuals in this area, and a consistent problem with accumulating garbage. Additionally, there are concerns about the safety of campers and pedestrians near the Cloverleaf and drivers navigating the busy exit ramp, which is WSDOT-owned property.

Starting Monday, May 1, and continuing up through the removal of these encampments, the City’s Navigation Team of specially trained Seattle Police officers and outreach workers will conduct outreach, offering alternative shelter, individualized services and storage of personal belongings to individuals camping in this location. The closure and cleanup efforts will stretch over two weeks – beginning with the Cloverleaf area on May 16, followed by South Dean Street and Poplar Place South, and along South Dearborn Street to 10^th Avenue South on May 23.

After the cleanup, these locations will become emphasis areas, which are places where an encampment has become a consistent problem. Emphasis areas are posted as such and are regularly monitored. The removal of tents and belongings from posted emphasis areas does not require notice as with other encampments, though personal belongings will be stored. On June 1, per an agreement with WSDOT, the area roughly between South Dearborn Street and I-90, from 10th Avenue South on the west and South Dean Street on the east, will be utilized by Sound Transit as a staging area for construction of the East Link Light Rail extension.

Public safety concerns

While many people living in these encampments may not be involved in criminal activity, these large encampments tend to attract negative behavior. The already vulnerable homeless individuals and the surrounding community are impacted by this activity. Over just the last several weeks, a number of fires and violent crimes have been reported in this area, including: a brush fire caused by a generator earlier this week; a significant fire that burned a large tent, surrounding property and trees last weekend; a woman who suffered severe stab wounds and reported being held hostage in her tent while being assaulted; several reports of shots fired and victims arriving at Harborview Medical Center with gunshot wounds; and a woman who was treated for injuries at Swedish Medical Center who reported a man beat her with a campfire grill and choked her with his hands and an extension cord. Today, the Seattle Police Department SWAT served a search warrant at a tent near South Dearborn Street and 10th Avenue South and seized a cache of handguns and rifles.

Balancing support to individuals with negative impacts of large encampment

A group of community members has been organizing support for individuals living here, including offering supplies, collecting trash and providing meal service on Sundays. While their efforts are very generous, unfortunately, the illegal camping is too extensive and lacks structured management to keep trash under control, prevent hazardous structures from being built, and deter negative behavior. The City has been communicating with these volunteers and is open to continuing to work with them on ways to support homeless individuals, but not in this location.

Two weeks ago the City conducted a cleaning emphasis along South Dearborn Street, and last week collected garbage at the Cloverleaf and removed the campers around the staircases that provides access from Rainier Avenue South to the Metro bus station on I-90. As part of those efforts, the City’s Navigation Team conducted outreach, offering alternative shelter, individualized services and storage of personal belongings to individuals camping in this location.

This week the City began a focused effort to address trash and provide individualized outreach services along South Dearborn Street and I-90 to Rainier Avenue South. The schedule for each of the three areas of focus is outlined below:

South Dearborn Street: Trash and Debris Cleanup

April 12-13: Crews are collecting trash and debris along South Dearborn Street from South Sixth Avenue to Rainier Avenue South.

The “Cloverleaf” at I-90/Rainier Avenue South: Litter and Garbage Removal Along Sidewalk

I-90 Cloverleaf. On April 18 the City will remove trash from the orange area along the sidewalk. The Navigation Team will conduct outreach to individuals in the area on April 14, 17 and 18, offering services, shelter and storage of belongings.

April 13: Signs will be posted providing notice that the City will be conducting a litter clean-up along the sidewalk surrounding the encampment at the Cloverleaf at the I-90 exit to Rainier Avenue South (see image). Campers are not being asked to leave the broader area, but will be asked to move back from the sidewalk to create a safe work zone.

April 14: The City’s Navigation Team of specially trained Seattle Police officers and outreach workers will be conducting outreach, offering alternative shelter, individualized services and storage of personal belongings to individuals in the Cloverleaf area.

April 17: The Navigation Team will continue conducting outreach and offering storage of personal belongings to individuals in the Cloverleaf area.

April 18: The Navigation Team will continue conducting outreach and offering storage of personal belongings to individuals in the Cloverleaf area and assisting with clearing a safe works zone along the sidewalk. City crews will collect trash and debris along this area.

Metro Staircases at I-90/Rainier Avenue South: Outreach and Encampment Removal

Tents along the walkway to the Metro bus station on I-90.

April 13: Signs will be posted providing notice that the City will be clearing obstructions around the staircases that provide access from Rainier Avenue South to the Metro bus station on I-90. This area is being cleaned for public safety reasons. Unauthorized camping around the staircases and the trash that has accumulated creates potential hazards for both pedestrians and campers using the stairs.

April 14: The City’s Navigation Team of specially trained Seattle Police officers and outreach workers will be conducting outreach, offering alternative shelter, individualized services and storage of personal belongings to individuals around the Metro staircases.

April 17: The Navigation Team will continue conducting outreach and offering storage of personal belongings to individuals around the Metro staircases.

April 18: The Navigation Team will continue conducting outreach and offering storage of personal belongings to individuals around the Metro staircases, and help move any individuals still there out of the area. Once individuals are clear of the area, City crews will clean up the trash and debris left behind.

Note: There may be City staff in the area around Poplar Place South and South Dean Street, assessing the situation, but there has been no cleanup of any kind scheduled for that area at this time.

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 65^th Street exits to the I-5 southbound and northbound ramps between Northeast 45^th and Northeast 50^th 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 45^th 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.

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.