88 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: 'Remediation' cleanup under way at Andover RV encampment"

• skeeter April 12, 2022 (11:19 am)

  Has nobody proposed a massive campground somewhere in King County where people can stay in their RV for free for months or years at a time?  With garbage service and porta potties?  Yes, it would cost taxpayers millions of dollars, but these cleanups aren’t free either.

  • Buck April 12, 2022 (12:16 pm)

    IDEAL!!! My thoughts exactly, come on Harrell you can do it

  • k April 12, 2022 (1:32 pm)

    Yes, plenty of people have over the years, but then people complain that it’s too close to THEIR house.  They always want it in someone else’s back yard.

  • WS Res April 12, 2022 (1:34 pm)

    “Safe parking lots” have been proposed a number of times but it’s always been shot down. Yes, providing toilets and dumpsters would help a lot. When I lived in Oakland, sometimes neighborhood groups got together to fund trash collection and toilets for nearby encampments. Shame it should be put on private citizens but it’s something to do rather than just complain. Folks in encampments really appreciate having a place to put trash and use the bathroom.

• Rose April 12, 2022 (11:29 am)

  Hoping this does get taken care of this morning. When I ran by this morning (in which I really don’t feel safe doing that) and did see someone putting a sign that the RV was their home. So not sure what will happen. But it has been sad to see the filthy and squalid conditions those folks have been living in. Hope this will help them find better living conditions. And I can only imagine the fitness center would love to have that cleaned up! Good luck City Workers!

  • taproot April 12, 2022 (4:57 pm)

    They probably don’t feel safe when you run by either.

    It’s a sad situation all around.

    I do hope more people will take an active interest in helping solve issues of homelessness. Work together to better identify, understand, and address root causes and come up with compassionate and effective solutions.

    In the meantime, kindness and tolerance, are ingredients of peace. Maybe if you focus on this when you run by, you will feel less scared.

    • WS348 April 12, 2022 (8:03 pm)

      Isn’t your view a little idealistic? You make no mention of the crime and drugs. There have been recent shootings in that exact location. So why wouldn’t someone consider their own safety when running nearby? Why can’t someone say that without being told they are privileged and lack compassion? You gloss over facts that are important to the true situation unfolding at this encampment and across our city.  If everyone on this blog judging the “privileged” (ie anyone who doesn’t live in a tent or RV) would open their home to someone  “down on their luck” , I think that would fix it. However, it looks like the “compassionate” are also NIMBYs. 

      • taproot April 12, 2022 (9:14 pm)

        Not all homeless folks are criminal drug addicts.  

        There are also occasional road rage incident involving middle class car and gun owning folks. Should we assume all folks in similar vehicles as these people have anger issues and are armed and dangerous?

        Guess I am able to separate the issue of homelessness and have compassion for people experiencing this, and the issue of criminal behavior, which isn’t exclusively a homeless people problem, though there are overlaps and desperate conditions is certainly a contributing factor. 

        Its possible to be against crime, and still have concern and compassion for peoples struggles. Also recognizing, if we focus on helping people in these conditions, and especially on prevention, it will reduce these conditions from manifesting, and therefore the resultant concerns and complaints about filth, crime, safety, etc.

        • Barton April 13, 2022 (11:46 am)

          Despite your feelings of moral superiority, most of us are able to separate homeless and criminal behavior and have compassion for homeless non-criminals.  Many of us donate time and money in recognition of that. Many of us can also actually face and acknowledge the truth that unsanctioned homeless RV communities and encampments are rife with crime and not just crime stemming from needing basic needs met.  Denying that obvious fact is not helping people that need and want it.

        • taproot April 13, 2022 (6:04 pm)

          And some of us can face the reality that selling a nice bike wouldn’t be enough to lift someone out of these circumstances in any meaningful way, or that good paying jobs aren’t just easily obtained for everyone, especially for someone living on the side of the road in an RV.

          You’re really accusing others of having feelings of moral superiority, after you shamed these folks for having a nice bike and for their other choices?

        • Kayden April 13, 2022 (2:12 pm)

          The overwhelming majority are drug addicts and or severely mentally ill. Many of them are from out of state and come here due to lax laws and enabling programs. As you said, addressing the root is the only way to begin to find solutions. The issue is most of these studies on the statistics have been funded by the organizations who receive the funds that are allocated to fixing the problem. Additionally, all of the studies I’ve seen in KC are based on the self-reporting status of the individuals, which is extremely problematic as you are relying on people suffering from diseases (addiction and mental health) where a key symptom is chronic dishonesty.

          But long story short, ignoring these people have serious diseases and continuing to enable them to live as they are, is killing them. It isn’t helping them. All the proof you need is the decades of trying to fix this problem the same way and the problem only getting much much worse.

      • CheeseWS777 April 13, 2022 (3:09 am)

        The person who fired the weapon did not even reside in the rv’s. So thus has no concern for how bad his actions reflect on those who live there. What say you to that

        • neighbor April 13, 2022 (8:43 am)

          CheeseWS777, here’s what I say to that. When police watched the health club’s security video of the shooting, they recognized the shooter as a person who frequents this encampment. So while you are correct that he didn’t live there, he did go there often for what we can euphemistically call “products and/or services” being provided by the encampment.

• Jay April 12, 2022 (11:33 am)

  SPD should check the serial numbers of the bikes in the chop shops.

• marcus April 12, 2022 (11:53 am)

  maybe we should issue city recycling and solid waste containers and scheudule the normal pickup for the area.   I am really joking here but those pictures are really disgusting.

  • Jay April 12, 2022 (12:38 pm)

    This needs to be done. If the city is going to allow the campsites, then garbage and human waste needs to be removed. I’d rather my taxes pay for Honey Buckets than step on poop. It’s really bad at some of the camps, especially along the Eliot Bay Trail. So much poop. So much trash. And the city is just pretending it doesn’t exist.

    • Roms April 12, 2022 (2:13 pm)

      I guess you’re referring to the encampment on Alaskan/Atlantic, under the bridge. That one partially burnt over the weekend. That was not unexpected given that the residents were running a bonfire in a plastic barrel sometime last week. I called the city on Monday and they cleaned up the fire leftovers, but SPU has still to come pick up all the trash (I reported to them twice).

  • Pragmatist April 12, 2022 (1:45 pm)

    I totally agree with Jay. We should supply waste containers with regular pick up, and regular black and gray water pumping and fresh water refills. Once barriers to maintaining hygienic living conditions are available, any RV resident who can’t maintain them should be evaluated for physical/mental health and addiction issues and offered services if issues are identified. If they don’t have issues that prevent them from maintaining hygienic conditions, they should not be allowed to stay where they are. We shouldn’t make it convenient for people to trash our/their neighborhoods if trashing them is a choice. This would be expensive, but I suspect less expensive than always being reactionary. Plus, people living in squalid conditions have one more barrier in a mountain of barriers to overcome before they can get on a realistic path out of homelessness. It seems worth the investment to remove that barrier and achieve cleaner streets in the process.

• James April 12, 2022 (12:13 pm)

  This is awful. Shame on Harrell for doing this. All you do is push people out and they have to camp somewhere else. This war on the poor is immoral and wrong. As a Christian I am heartbroken that the narrative shifted to “it’s inhumane NOT to sweep them” when that is just a gaslight and in fact wrong. People have freedom to exist in the world. Even if they can’t afford housing. 

  • WSB April 12, 2022 (2:48 pm)

    Just a reminder, this is not a “sweep” – the city isn’t forcing anyone to move (despite the “no parking” signs).

  • wscommuter April 12, 2022 (4:57 pm)

    James, as far as it goes, your concerns are compassionate and decent.  Unfortunately, however, the truth is messier and more complicated.  There is no question that many of these encampments – and this one in particular – become a center of crime and abuse.  Leaving them be is no longer a viable – or moral, IMHO – option.  The squalor and filth are as unacceptable for those living there as for those who live nearby.  It is a tragic fact that many of those living there are addicts, who typically steal to support their habits.  I fully support spending more money – a lot more of my tax money – to build shelter, provide services and feed/care for these folks.  But we cannot continue with the status quo.  The violence and property crimes which are happening with regularity requires this action.  Please consider that truth as well.  

• Buck April 12, 2022 (12:19 pm)

  THANK GOD they’re finally taking action.  Move them all out.  Clean it up and build a camp for them, and build a big cyclone fence around it with dumpsters and latrines.  Let them stay there as long as they don’t cause damage or abuse the privilege.

  • James April 12, 2022 (12:27 pm)

    I am constantly grossed out by the attitude towards the poor here.

    • Scubafrog April 12, 2022 (12:42 pm)

      Me too.  Entitlement of the worst kind.

      • k April 12, 2022 (1:35 pm)

        Absolutely.  Always the assumption that poor people MUST be drug dealers and criminals and the good but down-on-their-luck ones are few and far between.  It’s gross.  

        • hbb April 13, 2022 (11:28 am)

          An astounding 64% of our chronically homeless population report substance abuse problems. See Count Us In Final Report at p. 44 (available at https://kcrha.org/king-county-point-in-time-count/).I’ll never understand why so many in Seattle want to pretend this is not the case. 

        • UselessPolititions April 14, 2022 (12:21 pm)

          Well its ignorant to assume these are all poor people/families down of their luck because of evil Amazon either…  There is no  doubt there is a correlation between drug dealing and crime (of course there are exceptions) with homeless encampments.  Not to mention, most refuse services which means they want that lifestyle.  They need to be inconvenienced to take action and accountability for their own lives through sweeps.  Federal, State and Local governments have proven to have no problem with this approach.  Most recently with COVID…in attempt to make people get vaccinated the made their lives extremely inconvenient, same approach could help force acceptance of services.  Its inhumane to keep letting these people live that lifestyle and has a significant negative impact on the community.Also, for those who think it’s ok to steal because you are poor need to understand that can significantly impact all people rich and poor, but with a bigger impact t on poor people who have theirs cars/stuff stolen.

    • It's All So Tiring April 12, 2022 (12:48 pm)

      James, Scubafrog, you can take your performative self-serving “I’m so sickened by people who hate the poor” shtick and shove it.  Nobody here “hates the poor”, we are all simply disgusted and fed up with criminals, drug dealers and thieves who live on the public streets in squalor and filth BY CHOICE and ruin Seattle’s beautiful public spaces for everyone.  If there is an upright, honest, hard-working person who is simply down on their luck living there, our heart goes out to them and we will all do whatever we can to get them the help they need, but I’d bet you each $1000 cash you won’t find anyone like that on Andover street.  Go be holier than thou someplace else.

      • Rhonda April 12, 2022 (1:16 pm)

        Amen, It’s All So Tiring. You said exactly what I wanted to say.

      • Mr. Henry April 12, 2022 (2:27 pm)

        Agree with you 100 percent.   A lot of the fault goes to the city government.No leadership nor accountably.

      • MrsB April 12, 2022 (4:51 pm)

        It’s All So Tiring – You’ve spoken up and said what many people think but don’t always feel comfortable saying, mainly because of the backlash that will inevitably ensue.  I commend you!

      • Mary April 12, 2022 (6:34 pm)

        OK, “it’s all so tiring” – so you put BY CHOICE in
        caps. So what makes you the
        expert on what these people want and whether this is their choice?  It is
        by far NOT their choice and I know this because I am down there regularly –
        helping to get people an ID when theirs has been stolen , hooked up to
        services for which they qualify but can’t easily get to, etc.   and
        the most common request from EVERYONE is “where can I go that is legal and
        safe”?  These people are human – just like you and want a home and a
        safe place to be.  They don’t want to be there and they are ashamed and
        can’t wait to get out.  It’s a catch 22 because people complain about the
        trash but if the city comes to pick it up or puts out dumpsters then people
        complain “you are encouraging them!”  No one wants to live among
        rats and in trash.  I was there today for 5 hours and it was peaceful and
        cooperative.  We had a lot of nice community volunteers trying to help.
        SPU treated people with dignity.

        This is still not the answer
        though. I completely agree that this is no way for anyone to live – it’s a hard
        and dangerous life. They have to walk forever to get clean water. Many of these
        people are disabled , elderly and worked hard for much of their lives. They
        just have no one now. The city/county spend millions “studying” and
        hiring more admin people and all of the money goes to that when we could take
        those funds – build some more communities and help move people into the homes
        they so desperately want. We get them signed up for housing and the wait is….forever.
        Many are the working poor and they are scared to death to live with these drug
        users and people with mental health issues. We have the money to get case
        managers down there but we don’t use it for that.  We need to get more
        options for these neighbors. I can assure you – that’s what they all
        want.  

      • M April 12, 2022 (6:40 pm)

        Well said Its All so Tiring.

      • taproot April 12, 2022 (6:49 pm)

        Its tiring all around, including for those who may have a different perspective than you. Its definitely tiring for the folks living in those conditions.

        Might be hard to understand, but no one truly chooses to live like this, to be homeless. Each of these people has a story, with complex deep, profound reasons for why they are there. Life for most of these people is incredibly hard and uncomfortable. 

      • B April 12, 2022 (10:01 pm)

        I have been following the WSB for a long time, and have never felt the urge to respond to a comment as much as it just hit me now. My boyfriend and I are both unfortunate residents of an RV on Andover st. My boyfriend works a full time Job in transportation and I myself am a freelance photographer who is working my way back up after the recent business decrease in the pandemic. We were one of the first RVS parked here in early August of 2020 when we came over from the Rainier Ave area to find some peace and a more humble neighborhood to work toward our goals in during these unfortunate times. I am home (In this RV) almost 24/7 as I have been doing a lot of remote work in Digital Editing. If you have any interest in seeing my work, I can get you a copy of my portfolio, and would be happy to send you a business card for future business (which is greatly appreciated.) Accomodations. My boyfriend works 5 days a week, sometimes late nights driving a party bus which if you are around at the right time, you may see pulling up from time to time. It has bright lights that move around a lot and really loud music. But anyway, he usually picks up his bike at the end of his shift to get his daily exercise in with a calming ride home after his anywhere from 6-14 hour workday. Neither one of us are drug addicts but we do know plenty of them, and on behalf of the two of us , I herby formally invite you to run the serial numbers on my husband’s bike which is a Red Specialized Allez which he’s very proud of. It really is a beautiful (fully paid for) bicycle which he worked hard to buy. We’ve experienced now two years in these unfortunate circumstances but have managed to find the positive side in all of it which includes, holidays, good and bad, pets, a dog and a cat which we no longer have due to tragic losses (if that even matters to you),deaths of friends and family, friendships new and old, life lessons daily, fights, tears, horns honking (which is the most immature behavior I’ve ever seen come from any adult productive member of society), and most of all…. Survival. I can deeply understand, your frustrations with the trash, and the crime. We both share the same frustrations only, (no disrespect intended) ours might even be a smidge stronger seeing as though we are living in the middle of all the events that take place. Why don’t we move? Oh well, We would be happy to. As soon as we manage to pull ourselves out of this hole and the next chapter of our lives. (A hole I’m willing to knock $20 off the $1000 I dont for 2 seconds think you ever had any intention of paying because you are that supportive of your own and nobody else’s view on the situation) that you yourself have never infact been in before.  Well Surprise, the individuals you described in your extremely “perceptive” and “stereotypical”  and to say the least “assanign”  comment of “moronic judgement”, do in fact exist. And could without a doubt really use the $1000, you DID agree to pay given the results I’ve just presented to you. If you need them physically proven to you, It will not be a shocking request to me, because typically people do have to see it to believe it. So even though I don’t feel as though you are owed any proof of a situation that is in fact of no business of yours, We  as a couple will happily show you copies of any documentation you wish to see for your satisfaction, which may include bank records, paycheck stubs, Copies of Clean professionally provided UAs and a criminal record showing no theft, assault or any other derogatory or mischievous charges. Also we can run the bike too. I didn’t forget. 😉  If you however find a way to man up and pay your publicly offered portion of the deal, (It would be a huge addition to our savings for 1st,last, and deposit) then I will gladly accept and appreciate your doing so. I can’t say I’m willing to shake your hand, but I will be happy to give you an air five from across the street, while you hopefully find the peace you were selfishly looking for and walk away knowing that it was given to you by someone you had no idea existed. If you cannot however pay what you offered, I then, I can only say this. You’ve now been introduced to what you didn’t know existed. Your life is no more or no less affected than it was 10 minutes ago. Do me one solid FREE favor sir. Please do not make Open bets, or Offers for ANY amounts in a public forum, on subjects you don’t have the first clue in talking about. Because you never know who in fact is reading them, and who just might educate you on the matter without struggle to infact collect what could infact be the next chapter of their not so fortunate but still improving journey.  My name is Bonnie, Its my pleasure to send you my information by email or phone. I no longer accept checks, but am happy any day to accept Cash, Visa, Mastercard, Money order, Cash app, or Venmo. And if you are infact one of the ones honking as you drive by, please try your hardest to stop. There are some individuals who despite your beliefs have to get up for work in the morning. Best Regards, The Insignificant Citizen +1 on Andover St. in SEATTLE WA.

        • James No. 2 April 13, 2022 (5:50 am)

          I wish comments could be voted up/down because I would vote the heck out of Bonnie’s comment to the top. It’s easy for a lot of commenters on WSB to anonymize themselves for fear of being associated with their opinions that are, frankly, shameful at best and unkind at worst. Their comments illustrate our inability to advance as a society because they can’t think beyond their “good riddance” platitudes. Thank you for writing this comment, Bonnie. I hope you and your boyfriend are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

        • Barton April 13, 2022 (9:37 am)

          The $1,000 offer was pretty clearly hyperbole.  I am truly sorry that you are suffering.  That said, – and assuming no health issues, children, etc.,  your comment contains numerous references to decisions that suggest that you and your boyfriend are making the choice to live in an RV on a public street when there may be an alternative, but one that doesn’t fit with your personal goals . – choosing to work to rebuild your photography business instead of working a full time job in another area that isn’t your first choice,  your boyfriend retaining an expensive (likely $1,000+) bike instead of an inexpensive used bicycle fo transportation and relaxation.  It seems that in 2 years with different choices  you could have accumulated enough for 1st, last and deposit on a studio apartment that would be bigger than an RV (like selling a very expensive bicycle).   Your circumstances are otherwise none of my business and I only know of them because you put them out there.   No, you personally are not a drug addict or a bicycle thief.  However, allowing people to choose a lifestyle of living in an RV on public streets is unquestionably contributing to a larger societal issue with respect to these unsanctioned RV communities.

        • taproot April 13, 2022 (1:21 pm)

          Hi @Bonnie, I’ve been trying to find right words to respond to your comment and sharing, which I found to be so awesome, and moving.

          Thank you for speaking up with your strong voice. For vulnerably sharing in a forum where some of the comments are lacking understanding and compassion for people in your circumstances.

          Please keep surviving, stay true to yourselves, and try to have faith that a good things will come your way if you keep fighting and trying. You can make it through and up out of the hole you’re in and achieve your goals. If there is a moment where you lose hope or belief for yourself, know that someone out there, is also holding it for you too!

          It would have been amazing to see that $1000 sent your way by the other commenter.  Instead you received judgement, shame, and blame. This is the very reason people on the fringe and in difficult circumstances don’t speak up, don’t reach out, don’t share.

          I wonder what your current needs are, your goals, and what you feel you would need to truly get to a better place and be successful, but I don’t want to pry nor would expect you to want to share further here. I can imagine the disappointment you might feel sometimes, being in challenging circumstances.

          Hope you may connect with a group or organization who can be of some support to help in reaching your goals and securing a better housing environment. It’s very tough to pull oneself out of a hole.

          Are there any readers here from WS churches who might be willing to step in and offer some help?

          Not sure if you’ve heard of or had any experience with Facing Homelessness in Seattle, but if not, you might reach out to their organization to see if they can be of some help?

          https://facinghomelessness.org

          Thanks again for sharing Bonnie, also I am so sorry for your losses and grief.

          🙏

        • Let’s talk April 13, 2022 (5:04 pm)

          Bonnie, I live a few blocks from the RV encampment and as a neighbor find the degradation of this corridor completely numbing, hard to understand why you and your boyfriend continue to live in a rat infested, unsafe, criminal zone. There is nothing peaceful about this zone.Perhaps you can enlighten me as to why after several years you’d choose to not relocate to another encampment given the rampant deterioration of this area.Since you’re graciously offered up the ability to speak, please share a picture/description of your RV and I’ll come knocking on your door.  Looking forward to speaking soon.

        • WS Res April 13, 2022 (9:17 pm)

          Bonnie – please let WSB know how folks who’d like to send help directly can do so, so that you don’t have to compromise your privacy or safety.

      • Scubafrog April 14, 2022 (8:46 pm)

        ‘It’s all so tiring’,  instead of saying “stick and shove it”, do you have a mature response, that can start a constructive debate?  Or would you continue  name-calling, and resorting to base elitism?  I’ve seen some great, helpful comments from good posters here.  And some cruel, unconstructive ones,  intended only to gaslight.  Be a part of the solution. 

    • Hhm? April 12, 2022 (1:02 pm)

      I agree with Buck. Buck even thanked God.  What more do you want?

    • Buck April 12, 2022 (11:06 pm)

      I am totally grossed outy by those who think these beater RV garbage dumps are OK, come on man.  They are not safe for the community as a whole.

  • Jort April 12, 2022 (2:01 pm)

    Interesting, you want to build – in your words – a “camp” to, let’s say, concentrate all of the undesirables into. You’d like it encircled by fencing, and determine who is “allowed” to “live” there. Yeah, super great idea, I wonder if there are any historical examples of this being successful? You know, concentration camps? We should maybe endeavor to be a little more discerning in the potentially dehumanizing language we to describe groups of people we don’t like to look at. Maybe a thought.

    • GazLite April 12, 2022 (6:00 pm)

      Nice example of gaslighting. I am sure thats what you were trying to do, show an example of gaslighting for the kids. I am sure you didn’t take one word, add your own, and then use it against someone to make them seem like a bad person. Because if you did, thats what a jerk would do.And I am pretty sure the word “camp” is used quite often, as in “homeless camp”.

      • Jort April 12, 2022 (11:28 pm)

        The post recommended forcibly rounding up the homeless and putting them into fenced camps. I strongly encourage people to seriously think about the words and concepts they want to express publicly when talking like this. If you don’t like the term “concentration camp,” then here’s another: imprisonment, because that’s what you’re talking about when you force people into an enclosed space against their will. You need to be really careful if you’re going to start throwing around thoughts like that. They’re dangerous.

        • taproot April 13, 2022 (10:40 am)

          Get the point your trying to make @Jort, and agree with your concern. Comments suggesting the caralling, confining, and forcing things upon homeless people, is not okay, nor the right way to address the issues.

          We need to help these folks meet their basic needs, with respect to them and their individual situations and experience, with compassion and kindness. These people need healing many reading this blog may never understand, not just because it’s hard to, but because they choose not to.

    • 1994 April 12, 2022 (9:54 pm)

      Well, another commenter suggesting utilizing a cruise ship to house the campers….a land based camp or marine camp – a camp is a camp. The homeless are creating the camps themselves. No one is talking concentration camps except Jort.

    • Aleks April 12, 2022 (10:57 pm)

      Wow. This is such a wild connection. I cringed during every word I read. But perhaps some forced, paid labor wouldn’t be such a terrible idea in this scenario.

    • UselessPolititions April 14, 2022 (12:23 pm)

      That is nonsense as there is ZERO relation to an event that exterminated millions of people and you should be ashamed to even suggest it.

• LPM April 12, 2022 (12:34 pm)

  I essentially I paid for street signs that will do absolutely nothing for this problem.  This laughable.

• Cruise April 12, 2022 (1:03 pm)

  It is cheaper just at to buy a  used cruise ship and house all of them plus paying customersTrain them to run the ship…cooks, etc etc

• WS Guy April 12, 2022 (1:19 pm)

  Complain if you must.  But they have been stuck there for years.  I for one am relieved that the city has finally reached out with offers to get them out of those squalid RVs and into permanent shelter and services.

  • ltfd April 12, 2022 (6:50 pm)

    The city reaches out all the time, repeatedly, and the majority of the time the offers of assistance are refused.

    • taproot April 12, 2022 (10:03 pm)

      It’s not that simple.

      There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

      Staying in a shelter isn’t necessarily an improvement over staying in ones own rv, or workable for all, and not all will qualify for shelters, if there was even space to offer every homeless person a bed, which there is not.

      Recomend the film ‘Lead me Home’ on Netflix, helps to show the human experience of homelessness a bit.

  • WS Res April 12, 2022 (11:26 pm)

    “Shelter” is not housing, nor is it permanent.

• Mj April 12, 2022 (1:52 pm)

  It’s All So Tiring – Agreed.  And I suspect many people are also tired of the parking enforcement double standard, I know I am.

• Jim P. April 12, 2022 (2:00 pm)

  Good, decent, down on their luck people don’t create squalor and mess and filth and piles of whatever like this that we see in every one of these “encampments”.

  These are close cousins to the people who have homes but also have three rusted out cars, two engine blocks, a cracked and broken toilet and piles of debris/trash/garbage in their front yard at all times.

• Buttercup April 12, 2022 (2:12 pm)

  Couple of years ago there was an RV place down at 1st and Spokane.. Dumpster, washrooms, showers , all in marked out spaces so everyone had their own place….And garbage everywhere, rats, and trouble with each other. It’s been tried , the city worked hard for the people residing there. Didn’t work out. To many took advantage and didn’t respect what was being done 

• actually concerned April 12, 2022 (2:27 pm)

  ive been a resident here in west Seattle for over 12 years. and it upsets me to read all of this…. unfortunately i must agree some of it may be true on some level its all so tiring,  but you owe me $1000. I personally know the person who first parked his rv here, Ive known the professor for 10 years. what a genuine person. always there to lend a hand, fill a cup and bowl for a full belly, give warm clothes to those who may need such items, not quite what you’d expect after reading everyone else’s opinion.  i know another man who works at the shipyard who had stayed there. He has continued to work during the pandemic and finally was able to secure housing on his own. good job my friend! over the years i have visited my friend at various campsites and hes makes the effort to keep the area clean and orderly and insisted other people clean up around their own vehicle as well. but what can you do if people who arent so friendly and do things you dont agree with eventually show up? its not like you can make them leave.  we all would like a place to come home to, its the american dream. a place to be safe, dont you think the people in these camps want that too?  ok so yes sometimes you’ll find they are inebriated on some substance, most like to get “away” from life’s current monstrosities, that doesn’t mean they are a drug addict. if you have an alcoholic beverage are you automatically an alcoholic? No. i get it birds of a feather flock together …. but things are not always the way it seems on the outside. life is complicated right now, lets love one another and help one another so we can all have some semblance of peace and belonging. and if along the way those thieves and all the other types that  you mention are apprehended then Great! that problem is solved. treat a person with dignity and respect, you don’t know where they have traveled

  • Barton April 12, 2022 (4:12 pm)

    I’m sure we all know of some instances where a good person has fallen on hard times. and those are the people to whom I would like resources to be allocated and about whom I am  “Actually Concerned.”  That’s not who is ruling these trash-infested crime nests though and that is why those resources are not available to those that are truly in search of a safe place to come home to and a semblance of peace and belonging , as you say.  Yes, things are always more complicated then they appear, but we can see with our own eyes that criminals that have no desire to be part of society have been allowed to have their way by the city leaders that naively profess that to actually govern a city for the benefit of the majority of its residents is somehow inequitable.

  • Mary April 12, 2022 (6:41 pm)

    Thank you – you are like most of the West Seattle residents I know.  They have understanding and compassion.  I know the Professor too. Great guy.  Many people who can’t afford housing figured they could just buy an RV with their last few bucks and live in that. The movies and press romanticize this life. They don’t mention how expensive it is to run and maintain an RV – especially an old used one.  So they are mostly broken down and they don’t know how to fix them and certainly can’t afford to do so.  Those that think these people all want this and are doing it by choice are also the ones that don’t ever go down and talk to anyone there one-to-one.  They are just saying what they want to think so that they don’t have to feel bad about not helping in any way. I want to ask them: what if one of your family members didn’t have you or any other family members – were low on funds and starting to get old and unable to help themselves out.  Maybe they – or even you – could wind up like this.  Let’s get together and do something about this instead of just complaining about it. 

• Seattlite April 12, 2022 (3:23 pm)

  If none of Seattle’s elected officials or WA State’s elected officials want to do the hard work it takes to actually solve Seattle’s and WA State’s dangerous, unsafe homeless problems, then the homeless problems will never go away and increase.  City and state policies and the elected officials who write and pass said policies are at the root of the unresolved homeless problems.  Voters should understand this concept…You get what you vote for.

• flimflam April 12, 2022 (3:58 pm)

  The no parking signs are a “request”? Does that include all no parking signs throughout the city or just here? I would seriously contest any parking ticket on that quote alone…

• WSMom April 12, 2022 (4:37 pm)

  I drove past there once and saw people openly smoking from glass pipes. They gave me some serious stink eye. I have not driven past there again.

  • taproot April 12, 2022 (5:11 pm)

    My guess is you gave them the stink eye first, because you were disgusted and concerned about what you were seeing in your neighborhood.I can almost guarantee, that if you look at any homeless person fe a genuine place of compassion, friendliness, acceptance, and concern, you will see vulnerable, scared, wounded people,.who might even smile at you.

    • Aleks April 13, 2022 (7:35 am)

      Such a poetic attempt at gaslighting. I have also seen open drug use while biking, sorry if I’ve ever frowned at it. There are indeed people down on their luck and the problem is nuanced but crack pipes don’t help anyone. No one would oppose helping people in need who just want assistance or prevention efforts but there’s nothing “compassionate” about enabling people who don’t really want to help themselves. No one has to feel guilty for not wanting drug users and filth in their neighborhood.

      • taproot April 13, 2022 (10:17 am)

        No gaslighting in my comment. I didn’t say she didn’t receive the stink eye from them, just suggesting it may have been a response to how she looked at them. This is something I think people miss a lot, their part in an interaction with folks like this. Just sharing from my experience and observations with a want to help.

        Of course it’s understandable to be concerned or upset by seeing things like this in your neighborhood.  But, if you don’t want to receive the stink eye, maybe be mindful of what you’re giving out.

        Being judgemental and reproachful of people in a hellish situation isn’t going to help.

        • Barton April 13, 2022 (11:38 am)

          I doubt that the stink-eye is the deterrent for going past as opposed to the open CRACK smoking.  Why in the world would one engage with someone smoking crack with “friendliness and acceptance.”  It is not acceptable and it can pose extreme danger to those coming into contact with the user..   If you are not gaslighting WSMom then you are seriously misunderstanding the issue.  

• LibertariansAreJustSelfish April 12, 2022 (5:52 pm)

  How about we offer each ‘resident’ a free, hygienic, not-on-the-road-shoulder place to live for a minimum of 30 days (provided they follow minimal rules common to building safety) at a time. Once the offer is made, we record all identifying characteristics of that individual (name, birthdate, birthplace, appearance, fingerprint, etc.). If they accept, great! If they do not, then it is recorded as a refusal. If one refuses the above offer three times then each subsequent interdiction afterwards results in involuntary committal for 72 hours while you’re observed under the grounds that you can no longer assume that the person is not a danger to themselves, or perhaps even to others. Eventually they will get the help they need, or will move on to some place that has zero compassion for them and will let them literally die in their own filth.

• WSea21 April 12, 2022 (9:30 pm)

  People would not have problems with parked RVs. But when those RVs are surrounded by trash and filth, that is when  when the City needs to enforce some form of order. And I put the blame squarely on the City Council, which cannot accomplish anything. Policymakers like Herbold have seen this problem go from bad to worse and she has offered zero vision, zero innovation, and zero solutions. She just goes around “asking” others about the issues. King County is buying hotels left and right to put people in housing. What, exactly, has Seattle done? Has there been anything innovative that they have tried? We need firm leaders that give those experiencing poverty and homelessness a safe and respectable option for independent living. But we also need to protect our society from being a free-for-all where laws and order can be abandoned because someone wants their freedom to do whatever they want, including parking their RV, putting up walls next to it, piling trash and belongings, etc.  Compromises are needed at both ends of the spectrum. The city is afraid to act against those who abuse the leniency, and the city has failed to provide any sort of solution to help the homeless at the scale that is needed.

• timeslid April 12, 2022 (10:11 pm)

  This is my concern related to comments above. There is serious frustration and anger about the homeless situation and perceived criminal association. Elections have consequences and the voters (property owners have an upper hand in this) will tack to the right in a big way as per last election. They will again  and it won’t only be the rights of the homeless that are taken away but other issues the right has in its sights.  Courtesy and common sense. Follow the rule of law or change it with due process. Don’t we have a need to clean up our beautiful city? ENOUGH!! ?

  • Barton April 13, 2022 (7:35 am)

    That’s such a great point – long-time liberals such as myself find ourselves looking at more conservative local candidates when faced with the reality of a city that continues to decline as a result of laughable (if the situation weren’t so critical) policies and failure to act.  When I walk downtown or drive on the highway past mountains of waste and tents across the landscape I am repeatedly shocked at the inhumanity of allowing this to continue and grow. The liberal ideals I have long embraced have been turned into hollow talking points to excuse a failure to govern and make hard decisions.

    • JM April 13, 2022 (9:43 am)

      @Barton so many of us feel exactly as you. Agree on ALL points. 

    • taproot April 13, 2022 (11:30 am)

      What is inhumane is cherry picking things one of these RV living folks bravely shared and then blaming and shaming them for not simply ‘choosing’ their way out of their difficulties.

      Would guess that selling their bike, which may be one of few items of worth that they have, wouldn’t be enough to change their situation. Sounds like he worked hard for it, it brings him some joy in a difficult time, and would assume he would part with it if it meant changing their situation.

      They probably have more barriers than that, and you have very little info and understanding of what they’ve been through, what efforts they have made, and what difficulties and limitations they may have regarding choices.

      You don’t know what work experience or skills they have or how hard it might be to secure and hold down a 9-5 job when you’ve been living out of an RV on the side of the road. There isn’t a place where good paying jobs are just handed out to anyone. For someone who is homeless, who has been kicked around by life and people, putting all the onus on them to just change their situation, is unrealistic, ignorant, and lacking compassion.

      • Barton April 13, 2022 (8:18 pm)

        Taproot …actually, all any of us know is what was shared (anonymously) and our ability to do math.  Note that I said barring health issues.  You are literally making things up, assuming and “guessing” to fit your own view that anyone who doesn’t support the current free-for-all is unsympathetic.  Again, no one is saying Bonnie or her boyfriend are bad people.  Unsanctioned RV encampments, on the other hand, are a blight to all but those who use them for illicit purposes,  Also, jobs are pretty much being handed out.  Naïveté is not helping.

      • OneTimeCharley April 13, 2022 (8:37 pm)

        No one said they had to do it alone, but they do need to do it. Living free in public spaces is no longer a viable option for any of the parties involved. Help out of the RV camp, and into a better situation, is available to those willing to accept it.

        • taproot April 14, 2022 (7:05 pm)

          ‘Help out of the RV camp, and into a better situation, is available to those willing to accept it.’

          Are you sure about this? If it was true, and this ‘better situation’ and the help they need was being offered, why wouldn’t they accept it?

          Think the truth is that there are gaps and failures and lack of resources in the current systems and we can do better to help more.

• CheeseWS777 April 13, 2022 (3:11 am)

  The person who fired the weapon (mentioned at begining of comments) did not even reside in the rv’s. So thus has no concern for how bad his actions reflect on those who live there. What say you to that

  • - April 15, 2022 (1:41 pm)

    “an officer wrote that he and a partner “patrol the area of that encampment regularly and make a habit of getting to know the subjects that frequent that area. Justin Weiland is extremely recognizable to us as we have spoken to him on many occasions.”https://westseattleblog.com/2022/03/crime-watch-followup-charges-filed-in-andover-shooting/

• safety April 13, 2022 (11:36 am)

  What the update?WSB should post the latest pictures…..all clean and nice and safe to go now?

  • WSB April 13, 2022 (5:42 pm)

    We went through this morning and midday, no crews in sight. The main evidence of cleanup is the 28th/Yancy corner, can’t really tell the difference in the bumper-to-bumper parked area along Andover without “before” photos.

• Edward Dechant April 13, 2022 (1:49 pm)

  https://seattle-cwiprod.motorolasolutions.com/cwi/tile

  Please help in removing this encampment indoors or anywhere but here. This link is where we need to start pushing our concerns. If all community members are on board with dismantling this encampment mess please send your concerns here. Dan Strause was able to get the Greenlake encampment dismantled in this way so please make your voice heard. If you simply don’t like looking at it please let them know.

  • WS Res April 13, 2022 (7:37 pm)

    “Anywhere but here.”  So thanks for at least being honest that your concern isn’t really getting people indoors, just getting them “anywhere but here.” Which is exactly what sweeps accomplish – pushing the problem (and people) from place to place.

• taproot April 14, 2022 (6:48 am)

  Want to apologize to Bonnie, and any other RV living folks, who may feel hurt by some of the comments here. Especially if any of my comments missed, I’m sorry, and will try to better understand.

  Blessings and best hopes for a better tomorrow.
  💛 

  • Mark47n April 14, 2022 (9:20 am)

    Pretty presumptuous to apologize for others, don’t you think, Taproot? To arrogate such responsibility and authority to yourself is pretty messed up. Also, it invalidates the opinions of others, opinions that are as valid as the pap you serve up…perhaps more, since they acknowledge to complexity of the situation as well as the crime that is rampant within such communities.  I drive by every morning and afternoon and I’ve watched bikes and cars get chopped, drug deals, raging mental illness, and more. I see the inhabitants try to break into mailboxes of the Apodments, I’ve seen equipment that belongs to businesses like McKinstry within the camp, building materials, such as pre-hung doors, and more. Your insistence that the crime is just a matter of “perception” and that we are all pillocks for thinking that is insulting at best.Keep you apologies to yourself.  

    • Taproot April 16, 2022 (9:00 pm)

      Wow, no, but your comment feels messed up to me.

      My apology was out of  genuine concern for their well being, after having to read comments in a conversation I participated in, some of which I could see possibly being hurtful or offensive or just lacking some understanding, and specifically regarding my contributions.
      Maybe, just maybe, I am a different person than you, with different experiences, perspectives, concerns, and feelings to share.

      Never have said crime is okay.

      Never have said we should just continue with the status quo.

      Never have said people don’t have right to their concerns, or that what they have seen or has happened to them hasn’t happened.

      What I have shared is a different perspective with concern and compassion to the people side of the issues, with a lens toward root causes, and curiosity towards how we all might affect change. 

      Those of you so bent on hating my comments can continue the accusations and and character attacks if you must. 

      Its not easy voicing an unpopular perspective and putting your heart out there for what you care about and think is right.

      And it really hurts when others don’t understand that your intentions are good and choose to rip you apart, instead of listening and to considering what you are trying to share.

      You have a good night.

    • Taproot April 16, 2022 (10:01 pm)

      Wow, no, but your comment feels pretty hurtful.

      My apology was out of  genuine concern for their well being, after having to read comments in a conversation I participated in, some of which I could see possibly being hurtful or offensive or just lacking some understanding, and specifically regarding my contributions.

      Maybe, just maybe, I am a different person than you, with different experiences, perspectives, concerns, and feelings to share.

      Never have said crime is okay.

      Never have said we should just continue with the status quo.

      Never have said people don’t have right to their concerns, or that what they have seen or has happened to them hasn’t happened.

      Never have ‘insisted crime is a matter of perception’

      What I have shared is a perspective which leans with concern and compassion to the people side of the issues, with a lens toward root causes, and curiosity towards how we might affect change.

      Suggesting that perhaps someone may have offended another with their part of an interaction and ellicited a bad look, doesn’t invalidate what they saw or their concerns, just offering for consideration the others perspective, for possibly more understanding, arising from my observations and experiences.

      Those of you so bent on hating my comments can continue the accusations and and character attacks if you must. But you sadly seem to be misunderstanding my points and intention.

      Its not easy voicing an unpopular perspective and putting your heart out there for what you care about and think is right.

      And it really hurts actually when others misunderstand or twist your intentions and choose to rip you apart, instead of listening and to considering what you are trying to share.

Sorry, comment time is over.