FOLLOWUP: Mayor officially moves to authorize 3 encampments including Myers Way

2:11 PM: A month and a half after announcing three “new” authorized encampments around the city, including the Myers Way Parcels site that is already home to an unauthorized encampment, Mayor Murray is following through. Here’s the announcement, including plans for a community meeting:

Today, Mayor Ed Murray sent emergency orders to City Council authorizing three previously announced encampment locations for people experiencing homelessness in Seattle.

The orders call for three new encampments, each with capacity for 60 to 70 people, to be established at 8620 Nesbit Avenue North, 9701 Myers Way South, and 1000 South Myrtle Street. These locations will be permitted for one year, with an option to be renewed for an additional year. The City has been actively meeting with residents and neighborhood leaders ahead of today’s announcement and will continue to engage with the community as the sites are established. Upcoming community meetings are:

Monday, January 23, 2017

Georgetown Community Council Meeting
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Old Georgetown City Hall, 6202 13th Ave South

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Myers Way Community Council Meeting
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: City of Seattle – Joint Training Facility, 9401 Myers Way South

Additional meetings with South Park and Aurora/Licton Springs community groups are being scheduled.

The emergency orders sent to City Council today are part of Bridging the Gap to Pathways Home, Mayor Murray’s interim plan to address the immediate needs of people living unsheltered, while the City fully implements its long-term plan, Pathways Home.

We are following up with the mayor’s office to ask for a copy of the “emergency orders” and also to ask whether a decision has been made on whether the Myers Way encampment will continue to be self-managed as Camp Second Chance (which moved there, unauthorized, last summer) or whether a nonprofit is being sought to run it.

ADDED 4:41 PM: Here’s the order for the Myers site. Mayoral spokesperson William Lemke says they’re still working on who will operate it.

28 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Mayor officially moves to authorize 3 encampments including Myers Way"

  • bolo January 17, 2017 (2:38 pm)

    I used to hear that “homeless” people were mostly veterans and former homeowners that were foreclosed on during the last “financial crisis.” Now I am hearing that they just prefer to live in tents, and don’t want to be a part of the “establishmenet.”

    Of course I know that they are not a uniform block of similar-minded people; there are many more complex reasons for living “homeless.”

    It sure seems to be a growing “problem,” or at least more visible.

    Could it be related to a possible growing “record-breaking” wealth disparity, where those near the bottom see slim hope of, or opportunities for climbing up?

    Or is that “fake news?”

    I just wish there was more effort in reducing the amount of garbage pollution that gets strewn around. Not that garbage dumps of the “civilized” are any more “enviromentally friendly.”

    • captainDave January 17, 2017 (3:22 pm)

      I think its amazing that the city is letting the garbage and sewage from homeless camps spill into the waterways.  On one hand, we are suppose to be environmentally conscious, on the other, the city’s compassion has no regard for the environment.  Just wait until preventable diseases like cholera breakout and start killing people.  Where will be the compassion then?

      • West Seattle Hipster January 17, 2017 (4:43 pm)

        I agree, the irony is perplexing.  In theory I can be fined for allowing paper into my trash can, yet there are multiple illegal campers dumping trash all over our city.

        .

         

        City leadership is incompetent and contradictory. 

        • Jort Sandwich January 18, 2017 (9:01 am)

          I’m sure if you’d like to give up your shelter and live under a tarp in the woods, you, too, can enjoy the unbelievably liberating privilege of throwing your paper on the ground.

          Indeed, the fact that there are homeless people in this city, and that our city leadership also tries to limit the amount of environmental damage in the ways that they can — when combined, show UTTER INCOMPETENCE OF THE HIGHEST ORDER! FIRE THEM ALL!!!!!

  • S January 17, 2017 (4:10 pm)

    Hey Mayor and City Council (Lisa as our Council rep you better listen and take your personal agenda somewhere else) we don’t want this. 

    Listen to what the people are saying around these areas. We don’t want this here.  Cant get this through your thick skulls.

    • Randy January 17, 2017 (9:23 pm)

      I agree with you!!!

      Its time for these career politicians to stop forcing their idea of right on all the tax payers and start taking care of the tax payers…

       

    • Jort January 17, 2017 (10:16 pm)

      You might have more success at having your opinions heard by the mayor and the council members if you didn’t tell them they had “thick skulls.” Just an idea.

    • DH January 18, 2017 (6:40 am)

      @S. Please let us know what the solution to homelessness is. I’m sure the Mayor and Council would love to know what would solve this problem. 

      • Randy January 18, 2017 (7:24 am)

        Simple…

        Remove the mayor’s current decree allowing people to camp in public, support the police to enforce the law and clear them out and provide help services to those who want/need it.

      • S January 18, 2017 (8:13 am)

        Its called enforce the laws on the books, stop allowing people to do drugs, stop being such a liberal city who thinks that they can help everyone by throwing yours and mine tax dollars at the problem. We wouldn’t have this problem if  we had a tough love, but due to the people in power.

  • Elevated Concerns January 17, 2017 (4:36 pm)

    Today’s Seattle Times front page article should be enough of an embarrasment for the Mayor and his Office of Housing.  Honestly one third of homeless in Seattle are living in mobile homes and they couldn’t improve that scenario by providing parking so they dropped those efforts too.  If you can’t corral some RV’s how do you think you’re going to corral the tents.  

  • Anonymous January 17, 2017 (5:48 pm)

    Some of the issues are other cities throughout U.S. are providing one way tickets to Seattle for the homeless. Seattle has compassion for the homeless here. It’s something I have never seen before. I think in the sense we as humans care is pretty cool to witness.

    I’m not sure what a good solution is to the problem. I know I live in Puget Ridge and there are a few car campers. They leave out trash. I know I have offered to help on more than one occasion. The normal response is no to help. So, I wish there was a better idea on how to fix the problem.

    I think even if we gave all the homeless shelter such as an apartment some may still choose to live in a tent.

  • 98126res January 17, 2017 (7:12 pm)

    The WS Blog was the only news source that I saw where the Mayor’s office issued Civic Emergency orders to the City Council today to immediately take up the mayor’s proposed setting up 3 new homeless camps for up to 2 years.  A few hours later the Full City Council met and unanimously approved it 8-0.

    The mayor and city council are changing things so fast that I decided to sign up for news from both the Mayor’s communications office and the City Council.  Often these have links that provide more background too.  These are very wordy formal statements with legal language that I often have trouble following, but it’s something.  Thank you west seattle blog for doing such a great job!

  • dcn January 17, 2017 (8:24 pm)

    The Seattle Times article mentioned above says that a second RV lot was planned for Delridge. Does anyone know where in Delridge this lot was planned? I never heard anything about it.

    http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/how-mayor-murrays-plan-to-help-homeless-living-in-rvs-unraveled/

    • WSB January 17, 2017 (8:38 pm)

      We reported extensively on it, when it was first announced and then canceled, and lots inbetween. IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE IN DELRIDGE. The mayor’s office used “Delridge” in the “district” sense (ironic since subsequently he cut ties with districts). It was going to be IN WEST SEATTLE, IN HIGHLAND PARK, on the paved space next to the original site of “Nickelsville.” I get so weary of mislabeling of local neighborhoods. Anyway, our story from when it officially was announced as dead includes some of the backstory links.

      https://westseattleblog.com/2016/03/highland-park-rv-safe-lot-officially-dead-says-councilmember-herbold/

  • dcn January 17, 2017 (8:55 pm)

    Thanks–I remember that site and story, but did not associate it with Delridge. It is a misleading label for the Mayor’s office to put on that location. 

  • captainDave January 17, 2017 (9:04 pm)

    We need a new mayor that will bring back law and order to our city.  Mayor Murray is a lawless demagogue who rules by executive order.  The homeless are cruelly being used to build dependance on rapidly growing government services.  This taxpayer funded hamster wheel scheme is designed to keep incompetent people in office indefinitely while sucking tons of money into the pockets of crony consultants and contractors.  The corruption and graft needs to stop or Seattle will end up like Detroit.  How long will Amazon want to stay in a city buried in garbage an urine? Murray should resign in disgrace.

    • Jort January 17, 2017 (10:19 pm)

      Indeed. A new mayor will make our homeless people disappear! Truly what the homeless need is just some stern punishment to force them not to be homeless.

      Your histrionic, wildly exaggerated claim that Seattle is on the way to being the next Detroit does have a kernel of a lesson in it: Detroit collapsed because the city sprawled outward into suburbs along largely income-based and racial lines and left the urban core without support. Detroit shows us to contain our growth and to provide mixed economies for housing and development. Sort of like what HALA is trying to accomplish! Huh! Funny, that!

    • TreeHouse January 17, 2017 (10:43 pm)

      Guys, we found one of the very few Trump supporters in Seattle. I am sure you could make your comment more dramatic/sensational by limiting it to 160 characters. Let’s bring a fascist law and order candidate to Seattle! Yeaaaahhhh!

      • Andy January 18, 2017 (7:07 am)

        TreeHouse, I am a Trump supporter, and I too would like a “fascist law and order candidate” to replace Murray.

    • Andy January 18, 2017 (7:01 am)

      I’m in agreement with captainDave. Let’s be fair. How about a homeless camp in Broadmore and one in Laurelhurst? 

    • Jort Sandwich January 18, 2017 (8:39 am)

      Another question that could be asked, by the way (to tag along to your final question): How long will Amazon want to stay in a city that limits their growth potential for both business and employees to a specific, small sliver of land in downtown because every homeowner in the city obsessively and compulsively fights any kind of changes to zoning within 15 miles of their own home? 

      • Jen January 20, 2017 (8:03 pm)

        You realize that’s what an urban village, transit oriented, move to work utopia is, right?

        Developing density way up and living where you work.  Why would amazon workers need or want to live out in the Seattle Burbs of District 1?  That’s called URBAN sprawl.

        Upzones, and subsequent development out in these low income areas will displace poor folks, and cause even more homelessness.

  • Liz January 17, 2017 (9:27 pm)

    What is the Myers Way Community Council? 

    • WSB January 17, 2017 (9:40 pm)

      I hadn’t heard of that either, but this is a direct cut-paste from the mayor’s news release. Of course, terminology is not always accurate in news releases… I’ll ask the city tomorrow. I suspect the homelessness czar’s division is organizing the meeting.

      • Willow January 19, 2017 (6:48 am)

        I suspect it’s a typo and just supposed to say “community meeting” – they also have the incorrect info for the GCC meeting – it’s at the South Seattle Community College. There WILL be a “community advisory council” created for each camp, but there is no such thing as a “Myers way community council”.

  • Mark January 17, 2017 (10:48 pm)

    Captaindave I second your thoughts.   I have lived in Seattle for over 30 years and have never seen such growth in spending.  It is not sustainable and the next recession the $@=% will hit the fan

  • Baldy January 23, 2017 (10:13 am)

    As a resident of Highland Park, I know the Myers Way homeless camp will  add to the current negative  impact of homeless visitors to the Top Hat, White Center, Highland Park and Westwood neighborhoods. Do any politicians involved care about increasing   crime, trash , and squatters in these already challenged neighborhoods? Do these reps care about  the growing fear and frustration of residents living daily with the onslaught? No, because of their ongoing hypocrisy in dealing with this ethnically and economically diverse area.

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