16TH SW: City plans RV encampment 'inspection' this week

Mj October 12, 2022 (5:52 pm)

A number of RV’s are significantly encroaching into the bike lane, this is an obvious safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately!

Mariah October 12, 2022 (8:10 pm)

The safety issue is housing people not someone randomly passing by on a bike! Priorities = housing!Q
- Ryan October 12, 2022 (8:40 pm)
  
  Do you have a house? If so open it up to these people that choose this lifestyle that impacts our communities!! My vote is to enforce the law that governors us these encampments need to go!!
  - Patrick October 13, 2022 (3:55 pm)
    
    I totally agree with you they need to go, The laws need to be in force, that’s why we have laws, don’t park on our city streets for over 72 hours, how simple can that be. Laws should apply for everyone, not just the chosen few
- Jethro Marx October 12, 2022 (8:55 pm)
  
  Housing that (allegedly) blocks the bike lane is not going to work.
- bill October 12, 2022 (9:31 pm)
  
  MJ is a well-known revanchist for unfettered car driving and the old dangerous high speed limits. I think he is being sarcastic. But if cleaning up the street requires blaming cyclists, I’ll take one for the team.
- nwpolitico October 12, 2022 (9:45 pm)
  
  This is not primarily a housing issue. Having someone move their RV if not willing to accept another place to stay is the right priority for all involved: cyclists, neighbors, students, and campers.
- Think about it October 12, 2022 (10:22 pm)
  
  Nobody would say “housing is the priority” if someone decides their RV beings parked in the middle of an intersection. We can debate RV activity in legal parking spaces, but blocking transportation lanes is an altogether different issue.
- WS Resident October 12, 2022 (10:48 pm)
  
  Oh, here we go with the west Seattle virtue signaling. This isn’t about homelessness, it’s about criminals. You try having these RVs in front of your house.
  - Steve October 13, 2022 (11:38 am)
    
    I can tell you for certain, that probably we maybe have maybe just 2% homeless people, that may not be a crimes now these are just my observations after 4 1/2 months of watching them, you all probably know what the remaining 98% are doing, I don’t have to spell it out,
- Yucca123 October 13, 2022 (8:44 am)
  
  If people are incapable of taking care of themselves, how does housing help?
  - WS Res October 13, 2022 (5:41 pm)
    
    Permanent supportive housing helps people take care of themselves when they can’t do it alone – it involves wraparound services that help people with finances, self-care, mental health, treatment, social skills, physical health, etc. But we lack enough units – Project Vital has only 20 units right now whereas there are about 1500 people in the area who meet its criteria (multiple times in jail for low-level crimes, i.e., the people whom the commenters here are most annoyed about – people who are committing multiple small crimes, likely due to mental health and drug and trauma and survival issues.) Multiple studies have shown that this is cheaper than shelters + jail + police + court + emergency room/public health expenses when leaving these folks on the streets (or in RVs).
Steve October 12, 2022 (11:52 pm)

I have been calling that you have for at least three months, no action from the city, I put it on Find It, Fix It app every couple of days

Steve Gardner October 12, 2022 (8:00 pm)

It’s about time I live on 16th Avenue Southwest, it’s been nothing but a nightmare up here for over four months, The crime up here has accelerated, drugs, prostitution, cars coming and going all hours of the night, drug deals going on, i’ve had to go on Second shift, I was sleeping most of the day and staying up at night, just to keep my eye on what was going on, i’ve had homeless in my driveway, and look at in my windows, meth heads walking around, people screaming at night, in the last three months I have identifies at least six stolen cars, I have never experience, anything like this in my 69 years of living on this street, terrible, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, neighbors living in fear, Young children cannot walk the sidewalk, they urinate right on the road and sidewalk, they have no respect for this neighborhood whatsoever, they came here from Andover Street, where it the worst of the worst for living, stolen bicycles all over the place, and the city is just gonna come up and take a look at it? They need to sweep the area, get them away from South Seattle College, The students can’t even walk on the sidewalks to their classes, because these homeless don’t care about our sidewalks, this summer we had one Group set up and put a living room couch on the sidewalk with a tarp above them attached to the fence of the college, and they were having fun in the sun, why they were smoking their meth. Yeah right in plain sight, do these people Need to go yes they do, The city has had time to look at the situation, but have done nothing until now, and there statement now we’re going to take a look at it, neighbors of mine, for months on find it fix it app with no avail from the city, until now?

Chrissy d October 12, 2022 (10:35 pm)

I feel for you Steve, this isn’t good for anyone. The city and all cities everywhere need to take this situation seriously.
- Steve October 13, 2022 (9:45 pm)
  
  You don’t really know how bad it is,
James October 12, 2022 (10:57 pm)

Sex work is work. Not sure why that is an issue unless there’s trafficking.
- T Rex October 13, 2022 (7:34 am)
  
  So I would assume James that you help these “working girls” make their money? I have seen a lot of comments on this blog over the years but this one floored me. I hope you do not have daughters.
- Think about it October 13, 2022 (8:14 am)
  
  Selling drugs to kids is work. Murder for hire is work.The presence of a willing buyer doesn’t make something legal (or good).
  - Jeff October 13, 2022 (10:44 am)
    
    Yes bad faith responses. Sex work is work. I agree with James. It’s obnoxious to think it should be criminalized in 2022. Attacking women for making a living instead of traffickers or johns is….certainly something. I’ll let you guess what that something is. And selling drugs is work, isn’t that Walgreens? I get what you’re trying to do but it won’t work on me. Typical bad faith internet analogy. Are you guys also against strip clubs and bikini baristas or are you in the 21st century?
    - Jack J October 13, 2022 (2:14 pm)
      
      Though I am living in the University District, seeing this happen irritates me. I have lived in various parts of West Seattle (Fauntleroy, Arbor Heights, etc.) and know that this absconding with parking spaces is a bad thing for all. I have also attended South Seattle College and know this is as much of a hassle for those involved with SSC. As much as it is with the residents of 16th ave SW. parking enforcement needs to enforce the traffic rules just as militantly with the Rv’s as they were back in the early 90’s when I attended SSC. The kicker here as that one of the employees at SSC told me the school had been trying to add more on site parking for staff and students. Of course, the City of Seattle would NOT allow that, with the intention of dishing out as many parking tickets as possible. Well, we expect more and Better services for OUR money.

937 October 12, 2022 (8:19 pm)

Sweep and stock tank/planters – just like Roxhill!

posted 2019 hours 10/12

Steve October 12, 2022 (11:26 pm)

I wish we could do that, on 16th Ave SW, it’s a main arterial, some of these cars go about 60 miles an hour down the street, could you imagine what would happen, The only solution I can think, to keep them out is no parking signs, along the northbound lane, from say, from 8 at night till 6 in the morning, The city did the 72 hour limit, as soon as they park, ticket them after three days, if they do not move, tow them ,if one comes more will come, in a week you got 15 or 20 of them, I talked to one of these homeless campers yesterday, and he told me they usually travel in Group of five RVs they send up a riding RV waiting to check things out, and park, The other four are not far behind, The first one checks off the location, to make sure it’s a good place, my observations of these homeless people, they are very organized, it seems that they have runners going between these encampment, they communicate between each other, they all know each other, they combine their efforts in Stealing, between themselves, One group will steal the bicycle and the other group seems to be selling them, One RV it may be drugs, then cars will come up, possibly delivering the drugs other homeless RVs, and then you have what I called the tweakers, these are the cars that will park among the homeless RVs and do the drugs in the car, where you have the RVs, that I believe are into prostitution, you see the cars come and go from These RVs possibly either ones of them are also selling the drugs, then you have the level 3 sex offender, that has Young girls coming and going, out of his RV, then you have the the two meth heads living in a van, they come out at night, and wander the sidewalk, and the neighborhood, they usually come back with bicycles, and lawn mowers, oh I almost forgot about the other level three sex offender, don’t see much of them,
- Steve October 12, 2022 (11:48 pm)
  
  We got the two RVs that just arrived on Sunday, that’s what the article was referring about the campers north, i’m not sure what up with them yet, I haven’t had three months to look at them, there’s something going on with these two RVs also, just not sure what it is right now, so anything I can say about them they’re using the Vacant lot as there bathroom , but they seem to be keeping the sidewalk clean so far.
- nwpolitico October 13, 2022 (9:43 am)
  
  The type of organized group takeover mentioned above happened on SW Marginal Place last month. The camp was finally cleared, then six weeks later 5+ RVs showed up overnight and the situation is now out of control.

Kyle October 12, 2022 (8:24 pm)

Move them out. We should continue to shell game until the leaders come up with a better plan. If it’s not okay on Harbor Ave it’s not okay next to our college.

ConcernTroll October 12, 2022 (8:34 pm)

We live in the SCC neighborhood and was driving home the other night and saw a woman with a broomstick shoving trash down the storm drain in the street. Nothing to see here Peoplez!

Mj October 12, 2022 (8:53 pm)

Mariah – A few weeks back I saw Dick’s hamburger on Capitol Hill offering $20 with benefits as a starting wage. Old school thinking it’s called get a job and pay rent!

wscommuter October 12, 2022 (9:49 pm)

We’re also seeing another RV/car group reforming on Harbor Ave, between Salty’s and Marination. A few RV’s and car campers, with a whole bunch of junk piled behind one RV and on the side of the road as well. It’s a whack-a-mole problem for so many areas.

WSB October 13, 2022 (1:19 am)

We checked that out late Wednesday after receiving some email cc’s. One RV and several other vehicles, across from Seacrest. One unloaded a huge stack of wood pallets.

Independent Thinker October 12, 2022 (10:37 pm)

I agree with everyone’s comments, except for the disregard for bicycle rider safety in the area. I suppose that will only become a concern AFTER a bike rider gets injured or killed in the roadway because there’s not enough room to get past the RVs, box trucks, and broken down vehicles?I too have used the city’s app to report the issues I’ve seen (many already listed in the comments), with a similar response of “…we’re busy, and are addressing the more troublesome locations…” throughout the city in some order of priority. I’ve seen homeless advocate organization outreach vans on occasion along 16th Ave SW, visiting with the people there. But they seemingly have no ability to arrange housing for the individuals camping there, or those individuals don’t want the housing being offered. My guess is that it’s the latter. The answer is NOT to continue to let them live like that, for their own safety and well-being. And let is not forget about the safety and well-being of the neighborhood, which always seems to take a back seat in discussions regarding homelessness in our city for some reason.

WS Res October 13, 2022 (8:21 am)

“But they seemingly have no ability to arrange housing for the individuals camping there, or those individuals don’t want the housing being offered. My guess is that it’s the latter.” Your guess is wrong, unfortunately. You can read any of the many articles in the Times that reach the same conclusion: there is not enough housing. “The answer is NOT to continue to let them live like that, for their own safety and well-being.” So what is the answer? If you care so much about their safety and well-being, how do you think the city/county should act to ensure it? Because the comments above about how camps are re-forming and popping up elsewhere after sweeps makes it clear, that’s not the answer.
- Independent Thinker October 13, 2022 (7:51 pm)
  
  WSRes, I’d say the answer is to enforce existing laws. Parked over 72hours? Get ticketed and towed. Dealing drugs? Get arrested. Stealing property, threatening others, littering? Get arrested. If outreach organizations aren’t helping, why are we funding them? What are they doing for the money they are being paid? If there’s nothing they can do, than why keep paying them for nothing?
Jay October 13, 2022 (8:55 am)

The body count for cyclists and pedestrians is up to 30 this year. I don’t think there’s any threshold where it will become a concern or priority. They still have sharrows on roads with 30-50mph traffic that most cyclists can’t keep up with.

CR October 13, 2022 (4:42 am)

When I reached out to Lisa Herbold about concerns over the growing encampments on 16th, I received a response from her team. They had reached out to the Unified Care Team tasked with responding to people living unsheltered on City-owned property. The update they received from UCT was as follows: This is a site I know Parking Enforcement has visited previously and was last assessed on 11Sep22. Since then, Seattle Public Utilities has cleaned the area of trash & debris. The plan moving forward is to conduct RV Remediation on 18Oct22.

Patrick October 13, 2022 (3:52 pm)

Well I guessThey better come up again and clean the debris and stuff off the sidewalk, it’s getting terrible again, please clean up the pee and poop also, it’s getting bad by one of these RVs,

Steve October 13, 2022 (5:13 am)

I am getting so sick of this situation up here at the college, and what some people have been posting on Facebook pages, as you all probably know, I have been posting for months, about just this homeless encampment nothing else, Picture, comments, usually my post, go way off base with other people‘s comments, we should do this for homeless people, we should do that for homeless people, they have a right to live on the streets, they’re harmless, they’re good people, but they’re just down on their luck, let’s stay on focus, about this South Seattle College homeless encampment, they have been here too long, they need to leave, they are not welcome in my neighborhood anymore. they are not welcome by the administration of South Seattle College, The students don’t want them up here, and they definitely should not be living next to it, for reasons you already know, if the city is coming up here on October 20, to investigate the situation, if you don’t like what’s happening here on 16th Avenue south west, come up here and voice your opinion, To these city officials, stand up for your neighborhoods, you don’t have to live in this neighborhood to voice your opinion about it, who’s neighborhood in West Seattle will be next?

BK October 13, 2022 (8:24 am)

As a long-time resident on 16th Ave SW, I have witnessed these folks
dumping their bodily waste down the storm drain. There are mounds of garbage,
furniture and misc. items being left along the street and at the bus stops. The
smell of urine and feces is overwhelming at points. Someone actually relieved
their diarrhea in my front yard and ON the front of my house! I have witnessed
a domestic assault, drug and or alcohol intoxication, stolen vehicles, fires, etc. A neighbor was physically threatened and followed when
he inquired about another RV being towed in.The longer these folks
are allowed to stay, without any constraints or consequences, the more
aggressive and emboldened they’re becoming. They regularly flip us off as we
drive past and hurl vulgar insults if we go out to investigate noise,
disturbances, etc. There is one motorhome sporting a sign that threatens to
shoot intruders! If you own a rental property in Seattle, you are are required to register it and subject to inspections by the city. But yet allowing people to live in these broken down, unsafe, unsanitary RV “homes”, is considered by many to be ok and even humane? The find-it fix-it ap seems to be worthless in getting any response. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve used it with zero impact or action. And often times the non-emergency number for SPD s not answered at all due to staffing.Where are these folks getting these RVs? Are they buying them from abandoned vehicle auctions? Are they renting them? Who is preying on these folks? Who is benefiting financially? Follow the money!This is not about being intolerant of the “less fortunate” or “temporarily displaced”, it’s about safety and security for everyone involved.

WS Res October 13, 2022 (3:16 pm)

So when you called to get an estimate on providing them a port-a-potty, what were you quoted for a rental? Since you’re concerned about them not having access to acceptable toilet facilities, clearly.
- WS Guy October 13, 2022 (3:58 pm)
  
  What was she supposed to do with an estimate? Provide it to the city? Absorb the cost herself, because she happens to be where they decided to shack up? And pay the cost to replace them when they get trashed, herself?
  - WS Res October 13, 2022 (10:49 pm)
    
    Share it with the neighbors and say “let’s pitch in so people don’t have to s–t in the sewers”?
    - Jethro Marx October 14, 2022 (10:31 am)
      
      Where do you think feces ends up when it goes in the portable toilets? It gets pumped out and dumped in the sewer. Storm water is treated, just like what you flush down the drain at home, except in extreme rain events, but we’re working on that too.

flimflam October 13, 2022 (8:24 am)

Ok, an inspection? What’s to inspect, any vehicles sitting for more than 72 hours are already in violation, not to mention the blocking of sidewalk, bike lane, trash and drugs. It really isn’t that complicated. I know they are human beings but so are the rest of the neighborhood.

Stephen October 13, 2022 (11:45 am)

I totally agree, people have been up here for over 4 1/2 months, inspection? The city already knows what’s going on up here, with all the complaints, The police calls, they know if there’s level three sex offenders up here ,

Jay October 13, 2022 (8:57 am)

I go on late walks and it gets a little creepy walking by the RVs or the people sleeping in the garden and woods. Just walking by and they look at me and react like I walked into their house.

Suburban Villa October 13, 2022 (10:02 am)

I noticed a place called “Suburban Villa” the other day, it’s on 114th in Burien.It appears to be a home park for RVs, and looks to be pretty full. I don’t know anything else about it but if it’s working well, it’s too bad there aren’t more of those! For the RVers that aren’t interested in criminal activity anyway. I assume an organized place like that doesn’t tolerate illegal activity.

WS Guy October 13, 2022 (3:12 pm)

Seattles first foray into an RV lot cost $35,000 per month to support 20 RVs. So it was shut down. Turns out it’s pretty expensive to provide what Seattle considers humane support for people that won’t take care of themselves. There is no scenario where Seattle taxpayers can afford to scale that up to the size of the homeless population plus the new ones that would be attracted by that level of service.

spooled October 13, 2022 (10:33 am)

The only thing SDOT needs to inspect up here is how many Police they’ll need on hand, how many tow trucks, and how many ecoblocks to bring. All these campers came from other nearby camps and have repeatedly been offered services. Neighbors: If October 18th is the supposed cleanup day (posted earlier) make sure to consume as much street parking as possible, invite your friends too, so they have nowhere nearby to go. This is what the Andover community did to prevent them from just moving a block or two.

anonyme October 13, 2022 (10:57 am)

Why is an inspection needed? All of these vehicles are illegally parked and should be forced to move immediately. What happened to the reinstatement of the 72-hour rule? Why are these vehicles continuing to be treated as if they are exempt from the law when they are not? We’ve reached a point where both sides – neighbors and RV dwellers – think they have private use of public streets, and without any repercussions. Enforce the law equally and consistently. This must stop.

Ice October 13, 2022 (2:05 pm)

Moving broken down, dysfunctional people from one place to the next is not actually a real solution. It’s an expensive boondoggle that temporarily sweeps the problem under the carpet. I’m so sick of both sides of the argument on this. One side says ‘boohoo, all they need is compassion’ and the other side says ‘get them out of my sight (and into someone else’s neighborhood) or ‘throw them in jail.’ Guess what everyone, most of these people have already passed through our completely dysfunctional justice system and now they are worse off. They are a product of the justice system, and throwing them in jail for shitting in a gutter is more likely to encourage horrible behavior down the road. For all those cheering for a sweep, the people who now live on 16th Ave are there pretty much only because they were swept from other neighborhoods, so you’re literally just dumping your problems onto another neighborhood. Letting people live in these RV camps is going to make any problems (substance abuse, or otherwise) they have worse and open them up to various forms of exploitation and abuse. Exposing absolutely dysfunctional people to exploitation is the opposite of compassion. Also you are completely fooling yourself if you think that people who live in these camps could simply get a job at Dick’s and then magically move into an apartment. People like this are appearing all over the United States. What is happening on 16th ave is a symptom of a failing society. Not the symptom of a failing local government.

WS Res October 13, 2022 (3:15 pm)

I don’t think there is a side saying “boohoo, all they need is compassion,” is there? I see people saying “sweeps are a failure, they make problems worse, we need permanent supportive housing,” and then I see people saying “people choose to live like this, they deserve nothing but I want them out of my sight.” I’m in agreement with your comment otherwise.
- WS Guy October 13, 2022 (9:46 pm)
  
  All realistic approaches will involve significant discomfort to this population, and will variously mix a loss of freedom, taking on of personal responsibilities, and be of a temporary nature by design.

1994 October 13, 2022 (7:56 pm)

The city and the Regional Homeless Authority need to establish an RV park where ALL of the RVs, campers, and rundown homes on wheels MUST go. No more sweeps. They want to live on their wheels? then they MUST do so where the government has said it is OK. They must contribute to the upkeep of said RV park whether by contributing their labor or a small fee. This is getting beyond ridiculous, redundant, dangerous all around, and the cost continues spiral out of control with our tax dollars. Mayor Harrell and homeless czar Marc Dones – make this craziness stop!

WS Puget Ridge October 13, 2022 (9:32 pm)

Where are these folks getting these dilapidated RVs? The majority that have come in on 16th Ave SW have been towed in. They would absolutely not pass any road worthy inspection and I can only imagine what the insides looks like! Who is taking advantage of these folks and profiting off their misfortune? Are they being purchased at auctions and then “rented” out to these folks?Are they being parked and stored on our city streets until they find suitable tenants? They seem to sit vacant for a day or two and then all of a sudden, people are moving into them, or they simply get towed to another location. Follow the money!

16th resident October 13, 2022 (9:54 pm)

I don’t know what they expect to find in an inspection that they don’t already know. The drugs, the trash, the human waste, the stolen vehicles; it’s all obvious and been here for months. I’ll add that you used to see young kids walking/biking up and down 16th, now it’s just teenagers dodging RVs to get to class. I walk through the college now to avoid the smell and trash, or through the greenbelt trails, but I have run into them there as well. Which, yeah their right to use it as well, but there are now bags of trash, boxes of rotting food, and repeat cutting of the SSC fence. It’s also unnerving to be in an isolated place with them when drug use is so clearly present. Finally, the way the concrete pads are at different levels bc of tree roots makes having to swerve out of the bike lanes to avoid the RVs a bit scary and dangerous.

H20K9 October 14, 2022 (4:23 am)

Simply shuffling these encampments to a different location does little to solve the problem it just moves it to a different neighborhood. We need to either allocate ‘safe parks’ for vehicles and tents OR maintain a zero policy to unauthorized camps. Stop playing football with people who are already challenged.

bradley October 14, 2022 (11:06 am)

They’re now gathering next to the Delridge Comm. Center playfields and the old Plumbing shop. You’d think that these rigs could be impounded and taken out of circulation for lack of licensing, tabs, safety, etc.