Nickelsville says it’s been told, leave West Seattle site by Monday

(mid-June photo by Revel Smith)
The homeless camp that calls itself “Nickelsville” will mark one month back in West Seattle on Monday (here’s our June 6 report about its arrival) – if it’s still there. Spokesperson Revel Smith just sent this announcement saying they’ve been told to clear out of the 2nd SW/Highland Park Way site by then:

Yesterday, Ron Judd, Sr. Advisor to Governor Gregoire, told Nickelsville it must move by Monday July 6th. [Today] Nickelsville Representatives will appear downtown at end of the Women in Black Vigil [noon, 5th/Cherry] for homeless who’ve recently died. At that time they will present a letter requesting more time from Governor Gregoire. …
At the end of the vigil, Nickelodeons will provide a formal written request to the Governor asking for more time to stay at the current West Seattle site … while they seek a permanent location.

No new permanent site has been made available at this time. “We’re asking the Governor, ‘Please give us a chance to find a permanent site.”

The site the camp took over on June 6, after moving from a church parking lot elsewhere in the city, is state-owned land, just east of the city-owned site where “Nickelsville” first set up for about a week last fall (punctuated by a police sweep).

Ms Pam July 1, 2009 (9:45 am)

The homeless need some place safe to be able to call “home”. Most of us just turn our heads at the problem which does nothing to help the situation. By finding a location for them it will also help keep some that are “undesirables” from leaching their way into our neighborhoods. Perhaps less panhandling?

sage July 1, 2009 (10:48 am)

Boo to Ron Judd for doing the Gov.’s dirtywork despite the strong sentiments of the state legislators from the district. There was a time when Mr. Judd was a progressive labor leader at the King County Labor Council, and would have had a deeper understanding of this issue. Now he’s apparently senior errand-body for centrist Dems. afraid of poverty becoming issue. Abhorrent that the Gov. can cut social services to the bone and kick out safe, well-organized examples of self-determination and self-help.