outreach

The why, when and how of encampment cleanups

October 20, 2017 by Homelessness Response

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.

Recap: Spokane Street corridor encampment cleanup

September 19, 2017 by Homelessness Response

Last week, the City completed a cleanup of the Spokane Street corridor, where growing encampments were creating public health and safety concerns. The City’s approach included repeated individualized outreach to move people to safer locations, connect them with services and store personal belongings, followed by cleanup of garbage and debris left behind, then mitigation to discourage future camping. The entire effort went smoothly and as planned, with 46 people moving to safer alternative living spaces, including the City’s Navigation Center, the Compass at First Presbyterian 24/7 enhanced shelter, Peter’s Place and UGM shelter.

A pile of garbage and debris on Sept. 11, the day before the cleanup began.

There are as many as 400 unauthorized encampments in Seattle. The City focuses on closing encampments that pose the greatest risks to public health and safety. While many people living in encampments may not be involved in criminal activity, large encampments like what had developed along Spokane Street tend to attract negative behavior. This puts already vulnerable homeless individuals at further risk of impacts from public health and safety concerns. Specific incidents in this area include the RV fires earlier this year, which posed risks to individuals living there and critical infrastructure, as well as a recent shooting that left one individual dead and another charged with murder. Additionally, while the City has worked with campers to manage their garbage, trash accumulation continued to be an ongoing issue in this area. During last Tuesday’s cleanup effort, there was one location where the accumulation of human waste and dead rodents was so extensive that a specialty biohazard cleanup vendor was called in to remediate it.

As with all encampment cleanups, trained City outreach teams approach each person living on the streets with the goal of helping them successfully transition to a safer living location. Per City rules, we make legitimate offers of alternative shelter that is available immediately. If they accept, we will assist with transporting people and their belongings to those spaces. These include indoor shelters, including the new low-barrier 24/7 Navigation Center and Compass at First Presbyterian shelter, managed encampments, or even reconnecting with family or friends. With this approach, the Navigation Team has had a 37% success rate of helping people move from these hazardous locations to safer alternatives over the last six months. That is a great record for this very hard work.

Spokane Street outreach results
The City’s Navigation Team has been conducting repeated, personalized outreach in this area for months, getting to know the people living there and working to find solutions that meet their individual needs. Overall, the City’s outreach to individuals living along the Spokane Street corridor over the last seven weeks resulted in 46 people moving to safer alternative living spaces. As of Monday, Sept. 11, the day before the cleanup began, 21 people had accepted and relocated to alternative shelter following repeated outreach efforts since early August. Over the four days of last week’s cleanup efforts, Tuesday-Friday, 25 people relocated to alternative living spaces, including 22 who completed intake at the new 24/7 low-barrier Compass at First Presbyterian shelter.

Additionally, City field coordinators collected and stored personal belongings at the owner’s request and those items left unattended that appeared to be useful (e.g., tents, clothing, shoes, books, bikes, etc.). In total, the City stored 30 55-gallon bins, six bikes, three items of luggage and 6 large items over the Sept. 12-15 cleanup. Belongings are stored for up to 70 days and may be recovered by calling 206-459-9949 and providing an accurate description of the items. The City will deliver belongings to the owner upon request.

Needles and other discarded items collected during last week’s cleanup. Crews are trained and outfitted to take required precautions when walking within and cleaning these locations.

Maintaining a safe work zone
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, as scheduled, the Navigation Team arrived to conduct outreach and make final offers before the area was to be cleared out and cleaned. As with other large encampment cleanups, the team set up a perimeter to establish a work zone for the safety of all of those involved. The only people allowed within this zone are the people camping there, the officers and outreach professionals who are working to hopefully transfer them to alternative living spaces, the field coordinators who are assisting with storage of belongings, and the cleanup crews. Around 15 protestors arrived, and some chose to enter the established work zone. Sgt. Eric Zerr of the Navigation Team spoke with the protestors at great length. He indicated they could continue to observe, wave signs, talk to the homeless individuals, etc., from outside the perimeter. Sgt. Zerr gave the protestors nearly an hour from the time the perimeter went up until arrests were made; the individuals arrested were giving a final 15-minute warning and all but two complied with exiting the work zone and were arrested without incident for trespassing.

Update on encampment cleanup efforts along the Spokane Street corridor

September 14, 2017 by Homelessness Response

This week, the City began efforts to remove illegal encampments along the Spokane Street corridor from Colorado Avenue South to Airport Way. The approach includes individualized outreach to move people to safer locations, connect them with services and store personal belongings – which has been occurring for weeks – followed by cleanup of garbage and debris left behind, then mitigation to discourage future camping. Since focused outreach began in late August through Tuesday’s efforts, 35 people had accepted alternative shelter.

For the cleanup, the area has been divided into four zones to be addressed separately:
Zone 1: Airport Way to Sixth Avenue
Zone 2: Sixth Avenue to Fourth Avenue
Zone 3: Fourth Avenue to Second Avenue
Zone 4: Second Avenue to Colorado Avenue

While the Navigation Team will continue to conduct outreach along the entire corridor, the closure and cleanup will address one zone at a time, addressing the largest camps first. See more about the tentative schedule here.

Monday, Sept. 11 – Full corridor

As with all encampment removals, the City’s approach began with repeated, personalized outreach, with the City’s Navigation Team offering alternative shelter, services and storage of belongings to all people living unsheltered along the corridor. Over months of conducting repeated outreach in this area, the team has gotten to know many of the people living there and has been working to find solutions that meet their individual needs. During this day of outreach, more people accepted alternative shelter. Since targeted outreach began in August through the end of Monday, 21 people had accepted and been moved to alternative shelter.

Field coordinators document items to be stored.

Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Zone 4

Outreach – The Navigation Team began outreach at 8:30 a.m., and was later joined by the Union Gospel Mission. While the cleanup efforts on this day focused on the area between Second Avenue and Colorado Avenue (Zone 4), the Navigation Team and UGM worked along the entire corridor, engaging with 56 people over the day. Of those living in Zone 4, 14 people accepted spaces at alternatives including the City’s Navigation Center, the Compass at First Presbyterian 24/7 enhanced shelter, Peter’s Place and UGM shelter.

Storage of belongings – Field coordinators assisted people with storage of belongings. They will collect, inventory, photograph and store personal belongings whether or not the individual is present, unless the items are clearly refuse, hazardous or evidence of a crime. By the end of the day, field coordinators had collected one bicycle and eight bins of items such as clothing and shoes for storage, and will deliver those items to the owner upon request. There were 17 abandoned tents in Zone 4 and three people identified their tents as waste for the crews to collect.

Cleanup – Other City crews and contractors removed all bio-waste, garbage and debris from a zone as soon as campers had moved out of the area. A specialty biohazard cleanup vendor was called in to remediate one location that had a large amount of human waste and deceased rodents.

Fencing – Once the zone was cleared, the City began installing temporary fencing.

Zone 4 – before and after.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 – Zone 2

The day began with field coordinators inspecting Zone 4 to see if anyone had set up camp again. The area remained clear, so crews returned to finish installing fencing.

The Navigation Team, City crews and contractors repeated the outreach, storage, cleanup, fencing process in Zone 2 (Sixth Avenue to Fourth Avenue).

This post will be updated with additional information as the outreach and cleanup efforts proceed.

Following weeks of one-on-one outreach, City to begin closing Spokane Street corridor to illegal camping on Sept. 12

September 8, 2017 by Homelessness Response

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the City will begin efforts to remove illegal encampments along the Spokane Street corridor from Colorado Avenue South to Airport Way. The approach includes individualized outreach to move people to safer locations, connect them with services and store personal belongings – which has been occurring for weeks – followed by cleanup of garbage and debris left behind, then mitigation to discourage future camping. The City expects the work to last at least through the week, and potentially into the following week.

Outreach and referrals
As with all encampment removals, the City’s approach began with repeated, personalized outreach, with the City’s Navigation Team offering alternative shelter, services and storage of belongings to all people living unsheltered along the corridor. Over months of conducting repeated outreach in this area, the team has gotten to know many of the people living there and has been working to find solutions that meet their individual needs. Since a courtesy notice of the impending closure was posted on Aug. 23, the team has returned multiple times to offer outreach, including a multiagency collaboration on Aug. 28 that resulted in five people moving to alternative living spaces that day and a number of others connecting with services such as mental health support and medical attention.

The Navigation Team is able to refer individuals to the new Compass at First Presbyterian 24/7 enhanced shelter, in addition to other available shelter and encampment spaces.

Approach and approximate timeline
The area has been divided into four zones to be addressed separately:

Zone 1: Airport Way to Sixth Avenue
Zone 2: Sixth Avenue to Fourth Avenue
Zone 3: Fourth Avenue to Second Avenue
Zone 4: Second Avenue to Colorado Avenue

Monday, Sept. 11, will be a day of outreach only. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Navigation Team will begin outreach at 8:30 a.m. Field coordinators will be on hand to provide storage of personal belongings. Other City crews and contractors will be ready to remove all bio-waste, garbage and debris from a zone as soon as campers have moved out of that area. Once a zone is clear, the City will install temporary fencing.

While the Navigation Team will conduct outreach along the entire corridor as necessary, the closure and cleanup will address one zone at a time. As Zones 2 and 4 have the greatest number of people, tents and structures, they will be addressed first and are expected to take the longest. The tentative schedule is:

Tuesday, Sept. 12: Begin Zone 4
Wednesday, Sept. 13: Finish Zone 4 and begin Zone 2
Thursday, Sept. 14: Finish Zone 2 and begin Zone 3
Friday, Sept. 15: Begin Zone 1

Should the cleanup extend into the following week, the City will repost appropriate notice around the impacted area.

As noted above, once a zone is completely clear, the City will install a mix of temporary and permanent fencing along the corridor. Several sections will be fenced off to protect infrastructure and/or to limit access to certain areas for authorized individuals (e.g., maintenance crews). The temporary fencing around several blocks under the Spokane Street Viaduct (installed following the removal of the RV encampment at the west end of Spokane Street in April) will be extended west to Sixth Avenue, though it will still allow entrance for commuter parking, which is an intended use of those rights-of-way.

Spokane Street corridor: collaborative outreach to better meet people’s individualized needs

August 30, 2017 by Homelessness Response

Monday morning, about 20 outreach professionals representing eight organizations joined the City’s Navigation Team to conduct comprehensive outreach to those living unsheltered along the Spokane Street corridor from Airport Way to First Avenue South. In addition to the Seattle Police officers and REACH outreach workers who comprise the City’s Navigation Team, participating agencies on site included DESC-HOST, Healthcare for the Homeless, Metropolitan Improvement District (MID), Mary’s Place, Pioneer Human Services, Valley Cities, the Union Gospel Mission and the Salvation Army. Other agencies, such as YouthCare and Veteran’s Affairs, were available in an on-call basis.

Over months of conducting repeated outreach in this area, the Navigation Team has gotten to know many of the individuals living there. During these contacts, the team has identified a number of challenges within this population that present barriers to people moving off the streets, including chronic mental illness, substance use disorder, sex work/trafficking, legal issues, and a lack of employment and housing/shelter. To better serve everyone, the City is teaming with organizations that specialize in meeting those individual needs.

Monday’s collaborative approach saw the workers dividing up into multidisciplinary teams – each with medical support, experts in substance abuse or mental health treatment, general outreach and law enforcement – that deployed at various points along the corridor to ensure every person was engaged and the appropriate resource made available. The team serving the most densely populated section of the corridor also had outreach workers specific to the needs of veterans and families. Each team started by asking everyone three questions: Has anyone engaged with you yet? Are you a veteran? Have you received a coordinated entry housing assessment? Beyond that, the outreach workers used their expertise to work with people to determine their individual situation and needs.

On Aug. 28, 40 professional outreach workers and police officers teamed up to provide collaborative, individualized outreach along the Spokane Street corridor.

To those interested, service offers were immediate, including substance use recovery options, mental health treatment, coordinated entry housing assessment, relocation to appropriate alternative living arrangements, reconnection with family or other support systems, disruption of ongoing sex trade including exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The City’s field coordinators were also available to offer storage of personal belongings for anyone who accepted a referral to a treatment program or an alternative living arrangement.

All 66 individuals found residing along Spokane Street from Airport Way to Colorado Avenue South were contacted multiple times. While just the beginning of targeted outreach to this area, this effort saw several positive outcomes, including:

– Four people transported to the Georgetown encampment.
– One person transported to the Navigation Center.
– Three individuals placed on shelter/Navigation Center waitlist.
– One veteran connected with outreach toward working on obtaining ID and housing.
– Three females are now working with Mary’s Place toward shelter and housing.
– Four people connected with mental health support services.
– One person connected with case management to work on getting ID.
– Five individuals received medical attention.
– Two individuals were provided with legal assistance.

An Outreach Worker’s Perspective

The City’s outreach coordinator who organized Monday’s effort, Jackie St. Louis, MSC, LMHC, offered the following reflections on this and every day of outreach:

“We’re tired of you guys,” one man said as we arrived at the encampment. I contemplated responding before deciding not to do so. The reality was that we all were. If there is something that outreach workers and homeless individuals have in common, it is that they are well acquainted with the humanness of fatigue.

The location is Spokane Street beneath the viaduct, where 40 social service professionals and police officers have gathered to outreach the community that calls this location home. Many of the workers have been there before and have established relationships with the residents. In spite of the consistent outreach efforts, the majority remain. Some want to stay with their community of friends, others simply are not willing to go to shelters, and others report to wanting to remain outdoors as it is their chosen way of life. And there are also those who want to just be left alone.

Many are ambiguous; uncertain about what they really want and unable to elaborate that conflict in a way that helps the worker to design a plan of action. Nonetheless, this is part and parcel of this kind of work: it’s about coming alongside someone and being there even when there appears to be no coherent plan.

Outreach is persistent work, it requires tough skin, sensitivity to the needs of others and a willingness to brave weariness in the hope that this will be the day when the decision is made to discontinue living outdoors. And so the team prepares: each team member self identifies by specialty. Those competencies include mental health, substance use, medical, case management, family support. These are the resources that will be offered on this day.

People often inquire about the job of an outreach worker. Though hard to elaborate, outreach can be conceptualized as surfing: it is the challenge of maintaining solid footing at the apex of the wave and through the dip that is sure to follow. Outreach is designed to be the entry point into the continuum of care. For many who are engaged by outreach workers, this is their sole means of being connected to the larger service provider network. In addition, the challenges related to navigating a potentially complex service providing ecosystem can at times discourage those who need it most from doing so. Outreach workers are first responders, emotional support partners, case managers, family reconciliation partners and advocates.

Outreach workers conduct persistent engagement with the goal of relocating individuals to living arrangements that are safer and more supportive than being unhoused or in an encampment. This is an intricate process that can span from a day to years. Outreach workers are often challenged with having to balance their desire to consistently engage from a person-centered perspective with the external pressures that arise from the realities associated with encampments such as trash buildup and public safety concerns. Outreach is rarely a linear process, and the occasions when people readily and immediately accept alternative living options are few.

It would be safe to say that outreach is the process of knowing that you’re going to fail more than you have success, but choose to believe that those whom you serve make it worth confronting those challenges while maintaining the hope that together you will beat those odds.

Addressing encampments along Spokane Street with repeated, individualized outreach

August 22, 2017 by Homelessness Response

Over the last several months, the City has been working to mitigate impacts of the tent camping along the entire Spokane Street corridor as we determine a long-term plan for the area. With the Navigation Team’s success (see more below) of moving people to alternatives safer than living on the street, there is currently a limited number of alternative spaces available that match the needs of the growing population at this location. Therefore, we’ve adjusted the schedule for removal of these encampments to better match the availability of safe alternatives.

As a mitigation effort, the City has been distributing garbage bags to individuals living along Spokane Street and returning to collect the trash.

In the meantime, the City has been focusing on service outreach and garbage removal. The Navigation Team has been repeatedly connecting with individuals living there, conducting outreach to offer supportive alternative living arrangements and other services. Additionally, the City works with people to address the trash, passing out garbage bags, identifying collection spots and scheduling pick-ups.

Fortunately, with the opening of Compass Housing Alliance’s new 100-bed 24/7 shelter at the First Presbyterian Church at the end of this month, we will have much needed space available soon. Prior to this morning’s shooting, we had established a four-week plan for addressing the camping along the Spokane Street corridor. The plan begins with notice to be posted tomorrow to alert all individuals on site that the Navigation Team will be conducting repeated outreach during the next several weeks prior to gradual closure beginning the week of Sept. 11.

Spokane Street Corridor Intensive Outreach Plan

Beginning Monday, Aug. 28, the Navigation Team will be collaborating with additional service providers to conduct targeted outreach to individuals living along Spokane Street from Airport Way to First Avenue. During repeated engagement with individuals in this area over the last several months, the Navigation Team has identified a number of challenges within this population, including substance use disorder, mental health disorder, unemployment/under-employment, chronic medical conditions, legal issues/justice involvement and sex work. To provide a comprehensive response, the Navigation Team has reached out to numerous partners who can better meet the needs of some individuals.

The Navigation Team will be joined by the following partner agencies: DESC-HOST, REACH, LEAD, Metropolitan Improvement District (MID), University of Washington/Harborview, Pioneer Human Services, Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), Valley Cities, Seattle Central Colleges, YouthCare, Veteran’s Affairs, UGM, Salvation Army, Millionair Club.

Beginning at 10 a.m., collaborative, “need-specific” outreach will be deployed, so individuals will receive engagement from agencies that meet their specific needs. To those interested, service offers will be immediate and will include substance use recovery options, mental health treatment, coordinated entry housing assessment, relocation to appropriate alternative living arrangements, reconnection with family or other support systems, disruption of ongoing sex trade including exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

In addition to alternative spaces available to the City’s Navigation Team, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission (UGM) has set aside 10 men’s program beds and 10 shelter beds along with five women’s shelter beds and five program beds for Spokane Street area referrals. In addition, the Salvation Army has committed to holding all beds that become available for Spokane Street referrals.

Navigation Team Success

From Feb. 20 through Aug. 11, the Navigation Team made 4,199 total contacts to a total of 1,157 individuals. Of those individuals, 721 accepted some sort of service, including 419 who relocated to alternative living arrangements. For more on the Navigation Team, see the Seattle Channel Spotlight.

Spokane Street Background

Following the removal of the RV encampment at the west end of Spokane Street that was conducted after a significant RV fire in early April, the City fenced most of the right-of-way under the viaduct to deter RV parking/camping at that end of Spokane. This is where the low bridge structure presents more of a concern for concentrations of flammable materials such as pallets and mattresses, and a likelihood of open flames or vehicles with mechanical issues. This deterrence effort has been relatively successful, while the temporary fencing along several blocks still allows entrance for commuter parking, which is an intended use of that right-of-way.

The Navigation Center Opens to Pets, Possessions & Partners

July 28, 2017 by Homelessness Response

On July 12, the City’s new Navigation Center, an enhanced shelter that accepts people with pets, partners, and possessions, as well as substance use disorders, opened its doors to clients. A dormitory-style living facility that provides shower, bathroom, and laundry facilities, as well as meals and a place to store personal belongings, Seattle’s Navigation Center model is important as our community moves to more “low-barrier,” 24/7 shelters.

DESC and Operation Sack Lunch staff with “late plates” for Navigation Center guests. Late plates are available between meals for guests when they return to the Navigation Center from appointments, jobs, etc.

While the Navigation Center has capacity for 75 people, the City and facility operator Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) have been intentional in welcoming guests into the shelter in small cohorts, which helps guests make the transition indoors and aids staff in establishing strong service relationships from day one. At the end of the first day of operation, July 12, DESC had welcomed eight people. On day 10 of operations, there were 41 guests moved into the Navigation Center.

Homelessness disproportionately affects people of color and the LGBTQ community when compared to their representation in Seattle’s overall population. In fact, African Americans are five times and Native Americans are seven times more likely to be homeless, according to a recent survey conducted by the Human Services Department. Recognizing these disparities, it is the City’s goal that the Navigation Center will serve people who most disproportionately experience homelessness. Early reports on the first 41 clients at the center 10 days after opening indicate 61% are from the program’s focus populations of African American/Black, Multiracial, or Native American; 15% are White; <1% are Asian or Pacific Islander; while race data is currently unknown among 24% at the Navigation Center (intake and data entry are in progress).

Additionally, the Navigation Center is welcoming those who may not have accessed other shelter because of their partners or pets – of the 41 guests, there are 12 chosen groups/partnerships (e.g., couples, mother/daughter, etc.) and five dogs living there.

Enrollment at the Navigation Center is only by referral the City’s Navigation Team, comprised of specially trained Seattle Police officers, outreach workers through REACH and field coordinators who engage with people living unsheltered in Seattle. In the days leading up to the opening, REACH and the Navigation Team Officers began working to reconnect with people who had received referrals during the Navigation Team’s intensive outreach efforts at unsanctioned encampments over the past several months.

The City has funded an additional “low-barrier” shelter in the First Hill neighborhood that is expected to open in August 2017.

MDAR Advisory Committee to hold first meeting

July 11, 2017 by Homelessness Response

Since 2008, the City has had specific rules – Multi-Department Rules (MDARs) – 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. In 2016, the increasing homelessness crisis affecting our community led the City to not only review our process for encampment removals, but to expand our broader response as we implement our comprehensive strategy to combat homelessness in Seattle, “Pathways Home.” Mayor Ed Murray formed a Task Force on Unsanctioned Encampment Cleanup Protocols to make recommendations on improving the encampment removal rules. Following the work of the task force and public feedback, new protocols were implemented on April 3, 2017.

To ensure continued improvements, Mayor Murray and Council Member Sally Bagshaw, Chair of the Human Services & Public Health Committee, are jointly convening the Advisory Committee on Unsanctioned Encampments to review and evaluate the implementation of the City’s new MDARs addressing unsheltered homeless individuals, and specifically to review current policies and practices by the City of Seattle related to removal of unsanctioned encampments, and associated outreach and services to the people living in them. The committee will pay particular sensitivity to race and social justice issues associated with these actions, the unsheltered people who are affected, and the communities surrounding the encampments.

The MDAR Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting on July 11, 2017, 6-8 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room (L280) in City Hall.

MDAR Committee Members

MDAR Committee Charter

Seattle Channel Spotlight: The Navigation Team

June 28, 2017 by Homelessness Response

Today, coinciding with the #SeaHomeless media blitz, the Seattle Channel released a short video highlighting the work of the City’s Navigation Team, which is comprised of outreach workers paired with specially trained Seattle Police Department (SPD) personnel. The team works to connect unsheltered people to housing and critical resources, while helping address pervasive challenges around the issue of homelessness in Seattle.

If the video does not display above, try:

Navigation Team outreach results

From Feb. 20 through June 23, 2017, the Navigation Team has made more than 2,800 contacts with a total of 842 individuals. Through repeated contacts, the team members are building relationships with individuals and working with them on solutions that fit their needs. These efforts are producing amazing results, with 66 percent (557) of all individuals contacted accepting some type of service. Of the 842 individuals engaged, 296 have exited encampments to alternate living arrangements, which includes reconnecting with family or other support system (18), a motel voucher (13) or relocating to a shelter or authorized encampment (265). The Navigation Team has referred 173 people to the three new sanctioned encampments – Georgetown, Camp Second Chance and Licton Springs Village – opened this spring.

This summer the Navigation Team will have additional safer alternatives to which they can refer individuals based on their needs – the City’s Navigation Center is scheduled to open July 12, while a new 100-bed, enhanced 24/7 shelter will open at First Hill’s First Presbyterian Church in August.

Additional services accepted include case management support/referral; mental health support/referral; substance use disorder treatment referral; state ID acquisition assistance; medical support/referral; coordinated entry housing assessment (VISPDAT); King County Housing Authority lottery registration; employment support; benefits activation support; vehicle repairs; and basic needs.

About the Navigation Team

Navigation Team officers and outreach workers talk with an individual to determine what services she may need.

The Navigation Team is comprised of eight specially trained SPD officers, one SPD sergeant and seven REACH outreach workers who work together in the field to offer individualized services and alternative living spaces to homeless individuals. Additionally, a City outreach coordinator tracks and compiles outreach contacts and services provided; he is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and serves as the point person for issues related to mental health. In cases where the team contacts someone who is dealing with mental health challenges, the outreach coordinator assumes the outreach lead with that individual, making an assessment, engaging and making the appropriate referral to support the individual’s needs. When appropriate, the outreach coordinator requests assistance from specialty outreach workers from partner agencies, including MID – Outreach, Case Management & Mental Health Staff; UGM – Outreach team; UGM Community Mental Health Program; Harborview – Mental Health; LEAD; Mary’s Place; UGM – Hope Place; DESC – HOST Program; YouthCare, etc.

Also part of the team are several field coordinators – City staff who inspect reported encampment sites, inform cleanup scheduling, work with individuals to store personal belongings and later return those items upon request, document and ensure the City’s protocols are followed at every cleanup, and supervise the cleanup crews, which can include City staff and/or contractors. Finally, an SPD lieutenant and a program manager oversee coordination and scheduling of the entire team.

City to remove encampment from under Magnolia Bridge

June 19, 2017 by Homelessness Response

The encampment is located under the Magnolia Bridge in the shaded area.

On Thursday, June 15, the City’s Navigation Team visited an encampment under the Magnolia Bridge (see area on map) to post and provide verbal notice to those living there that the encampment will be removed on Tuesday, June 20. As with all encampment removals, the Navigation Team of specially trained police officers and outreach workers offered individuals on site alternative shelter and other services.

The Navigation Team will return to conduct outreach again on Tuesday morning before crews will cleanup trash and debris left behind. City field coordinators will offer to store personal belongings for up to 70 days; the City delivers stored belongings upon request.

Photos taken during a site inspection: