UPDATE: City clears SW Trenton RV/sidewalk encampment

| West Seattle news | Westwood

(Looking east on SW Trenton)

10:57 AM: As announced by the city via signage last week, the cleanup operation is under way at the SW Trenton encampment site between Westwood Village and Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex. Workers from multiple city departments and agencies are at the scene. We checked starting at 7 am; the crews showed up around 8:30 am, and a supervisor told us they would be starting at 9. One RV and one trailer remained in the area then (six had been there until recently); when we returned for these photos a short time ago, one trailer remained.

(Looking west on SW Trenton)

We will be checking back later and also asking the city for the information they usually provide afterward, such as how many people they contacted and whether any vehicles were towed (one tow truck was at the scene but appeared to be in standby mode).

11:54 AM: Our photographer went through the area again and says the clearance appears to be over. (Photo added above)

K September 18, 2024 (11:24 am)

After the most recent sweep of overall quiet folks who kept to themselves on Cambridge, there were RVs back within 48 hours, and one of the new ones started out Day 1 spreading across the sidewalk and inviting regular visitors. There has got to be a better way to burn hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money. One that doesn’t make everything worse.

Seattlite September 18, 2024 (2:43 pm)

K….Green Lake where I often walk got rid of its homeless camps including tents, drug users. I took photos of the used needles tossed into the grass and left for any child to step on or pickup and also witnessed two guys shooting up in foliage that surrounds the lake at the time the homeless has invaded the Green Lake area. Anyway, this cleanup happened a few years ago and the homeless have not returned in mass. Occasionally I will see a tent at Green Lake but it is swiftly removed.
- Hide September 19, 2024 (11:02 am)
  
  Did those people end up in housing, or are they still homeless somewhere where you personally don’t have to look at them? Based on the general outcome of the sweeps, I’m guessing the latter.
  - Eric1 September 19, 2024 (11:40 am)
    
    Interesting take that you seem to infer that still being homeless elsewhere is an adverse change. They were homeless prior to the sweep and they are homeless after the sweep is no real change. The only difference is that a street that was impacted by an accumulation of trash is now clean. I would call that a win. If the homeless truly don’t want to be swept, move every 72 hours or keep your area clean; which is effort that they don’t seem willing to put in. Everyone has responsibilities in society, you have to do your part or face consequences.
  - WS Resident September 19, 2024 (11:49 am)
    
    Don’t worry @Hide, they’re still able to steal stuff and sell drugs.

Jason September 18, 2024 (11:25 am)

Lame. Just shuffling around the poor with no real plan. This city has “Swept” for two decades and it’s done less than zero to help the poverty situation in Seattle. A big reason I am voting Alexis Rinck over the deeply misinformed and awful Tanya Woo, is we need to solutions at the economic level. And we need actual social housing over pitting affordable housing vs. social housing (a la Jumpstart and what this despicable CC did last night going AGAINST democracy)

lucy September 18, 2024 (12:20 pm)

I disagree. You cannot “give” people a home without expectations and expect for them to change their behavior. People must maintain their home to the best of their ability. They must pass a drug test. They must be looking for employment or enrolled in school to learn skills to better themselves. We cannot, as taxpayers, be expected to continue providing people with housing, food, cell phones, etc without expecting something in return.
- Hannah September 18, 2024 (4:12 pm)
  
  You can’t have it both ways. You can’t expect the problem of homelessness to magically go away without providing outlets to assist people. All sweeps do is move people to another location. Your options are either helping others out of difficult situations and enjoy a community not suffering under the stress of a housing crisis, or let people struggle and suffer and deal with the reality of homelessness. Americans total lack of understanding of social services benefiting the entire community is just baffling to me. Do you ever complain about the fire department never coming to your house to put out a fire?
  - AN September 18, 2024 (8:27 pm)
    
    There are ample “outlets to assist people”. Some people make use of them. Some do not. I’m tired of the latter. No more.
    - K September 19, 2024 (7:06 am)
      
      No, there is not a bunch of available assistance out there. Every existing service is stretched to capacity and then some. The only thing that is ample is wait lists.
    - SoLongDelridge September 19, 2024 (7:57 am)
      
      So you have to lock them up or execute them, is that your answer?
- Hannah September 18, 2024 (4:30 pm)
  
  Additionally, providing housing plays a major factor in people successfully recovering from substance abuse disorders. Asking someone dealing with a substance abuse disorder and houseless-ness to first fix their drug problem and then reward them with housing will not and does not work.https://opioidprinciples.jhsph.edu/how-stable-housing-supports-recovery-from-substance-use-disorders/#:~:text=Stable%20housing%20plays%20an%20important,four%20major%20dimensions%20of%20recovery.
- Been September 19, 2024 (11:05 am)
  
  An intro sociology course at one of our local colleges or universities could help clear up the many misconceptions in your comment. South Seattle College is even a WSB sponsor – mention this comment, maybe they’ll give you a discount.
Mike Hodges September 19, 2024 (12:45 pm)

You’re misguided at best.1) demand for housing, a good we all need, at below market price is by definition infinite. Upzone the crap out of some places if you want but the token “supportive housing” is only a way to make a few people lucky and Seattle to say we are “doing something.”2) By land, something like 95% of this huge country is cheaper to live than Seattle. Houses are still under $100k where I grew up. Sure, I’d love to live in the ocean in Malibu but I know I can’t. And setting up a tent there wouldn’t ever make me a “resident.”

Paul September 18, 2024 (12:09 pm)

What I don’t understand is that the majority of the RVs and campers are not road worthy. Why doesn’t the state mandate these vehicles and campers must pass a inspection to remain on the roads/streets. This would clear out many of these vehicles that should not be around.

JustSarah September 18, 2024 (3:24 pm)

Who would be inspecting, and for what? Our state has no process in place to confirm anyone’s vehicle is sound and roadworthy. We don’t even have emissions checks anymore.
- Jethro Marx September 18, 2024 (3:36 pm)
  
  Washington State Patrol conducts the inspection you’re talking about if one buys a salvaged car and wants to retitle it or builds their own Frankenvehicle intended for public roads. I will go out on a limb and say they do NOT wish to be tasked with haggling over tread depth or something under a lean-to. Side note: maybe build some public housing Seattle; it need not be cute and tiny.
Citizen Sane September 18, 2024 (4:14 pm)

The thing is we do have a rule: the 72-hour parking rule (SMC 11.72.260), and a rule prohibiting vehicles over 80″ wide from parking overnight in areas zoned ‘Residential’ (SMC 11.72.070). The problem is that the City generally only acts if someone complains and reports it via the ‘Find It/Fix It’ app. To get anything done, you have to step up and say something, and KEEP saying it until something is done. Granted, the City can be darned slow, but if you hold their feet to the fire, they do act.That being said, you have to hold people to the rules. We can’t function if we have multiple ‘rule books’, and the one you’re held to depends on your socioeconomic status. Giving one group of people a pass because they’re ‘poor’ isn’t fair to everyone else.
- aa September 19, 2024 (8:12 am)
  
  I find the response time with Find it /Fix it to be remarkably fast considering all that needs attention.
- K September 19, 2024 (8:51 am)
  
  Middle-class people get a pass all the time to park their junk vehicles, PODs, boat trailers, and whatever else for as long as they feel like all the time. And don’t even get me started on the crap rich people get away with. Just because you only care to focus your energy on issues caused by the poor doesn’t mean they’re the only ones who violate ordinances.
  - WS Resident September 19, 2024 (11:52 am)
    
    No, middle class people don’t get a pass to park dilapidated cars, trailers, or boats. They get ticketed and towed. Quit with they hyperbole.
    - K September 19, 2024 (8:31 pm)
      
      Go to 40th and Fauntleroy. Those cars under the tarps have been there for years. Owned by middle-class housed people. Go to Barton and 13th. That boat trailer is owned by a middle-class housed person. Don’t be ignorant, it happens all over the city. Next time you see a POD on the street, check to see if they got a street use permit to go over 80″. Nine times out of ten they don’t have one. Spare me your “only the poors” nonsense. It’s bigotry, and nothing more.

Nolan September 18, 2024 (12:29 pm)

Between this and Saka’s vote to establish flagrantly illegal exclusion zones, it’s a banner day for performative cruelty.

Derek September 18, 2024 (2:41 pm)

I cannot believe that nonsense. Sara Nelson and co are basically a dictating entity. Harrell got his corporate puppets he wanted..sheesh this city is going to hell quick and it’s not because of the poor people. It’s the rich. Even Phil Tavel was against Saka. Come on wake up people!
GenesseeValley September 19, 2024 (7:48 am)

If a problem encampment was next to your home or your child’s school you’d be applauding this action by the council.

DRW September 18, 2024 (12:41 pm)

Thank you. Now keep the 72 hour parking law enforced.

AH Neigbor September 18, 2024 (1:09 pm)

Thank you for cleaning this mess up, this is right next door to the schools! I am voting Red!

Rachel Wheeler September 18, 2024 (1:53 pm)

They are all over the place. Next to schools, churches, and grocery stores. They are everywhere and we should care about every location, not just schools. No homeless encampment that i ever heard of has hurt a child. And i know people who have children who walk past the camps.
J September 18, 2024 (2:44 pm)

Ah…great solution vote “red” to ensure more safety nets for those not on the streets are gone so they too can find themselves homeless.
WS MOM September 18, 2024 (4:04 pm)

SAME! Enough of these extreme left solutions! These aren’t homeless families, they’re drug users. I’ve seen it with my own eyes – foil in the bathrooms kids use for games. ENOUGH!
- K September 18, 2024 (4:50 pm)
  
  This may come as a shock to you, but drug users are part of families.
- me September 19, 2024 (2:25 pm)
  
  you might want to get your eyes checked. there are children in those camps. not every single camp is just drug dealers
  - Rhonda September 19, 2024 (10:11 pm)
    
    I’ve helped supervise many encampment cleanups while partnering with King County Sheriff’s Office and I NEVER saw anyone under age 18, me.

Concerned September 18, 2024 (1:54 pm)

Just a thought, how about we pull back on some of the 1.55 million “move Seattle” levy and allocate some of these funds to a different kind of levy that might help these people. We need a place for the homeless trying to get back on their feet, the mentally ill/unstable, and drug addicts to get better (and just put the criminals in jail). We need to be responsible for this mess before going forward and leaving more people behind in the streets.

Seattlite September 18, 2024 (2:33 pm)

Concerned: Did you know that Seattle has spent ONE BILLION DOLLARS on its on-going homeless problems? Does it make you wonder where all of that money has gone since Seattle still has an on-going homelessness problem after years of throwing money at it? Here is the link: https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-homeless-crisis-spent-a-billion-dollars-on-homelessness-but-numbers-of-unsheltered-grew-washington-king-county-homeless-budget-money-citywide-spending-human-services-dep
- momosmom September 18, 2024 (3:57 pm)
  
  Here’s the link to the 1 billion$$$ and another for FYI https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-homeless-crisis-spent-a-billion-dollars-on-homelessness-but-numbers-of-unsheltered-grew-washington-king-county-homeless-budget-money-citywide-spending-human-services-department-decade-labor-contract-state-of-emergency-organizations-people-living
  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943155150
Anne September 18, 2024 (3:34 pm)

Are you so sure there is nothing already in place to help those-who want help? Isn’t that why this took so long -so service outreach could be done? Could there be-should there be more services & resources available-of course-but I don’t think we should assume nothing is being offered to help these folks. The open drug dealing-bicycle chop shops -should have been shut down weeks-months ago.

snowskier September 18, 2024 (1:57 pm)

Thanks for cleaning this up. Now head over to Cambridge and help enforce the 72 hours parking law. Peaceful and clean people can pack up and move to differentiate themselves from those with nefarious intent.

WS Taxpayer September 18, 2024 (2:01 pm)

Happy to see this area near our community schools cleaned up. You can have empathy for the quiet folks who keep to themselves but abhor the situation when the opposite is attracted to the same locale. If they are truly quiet folks trying to make ends meet, maybe it is time to re-assess and focus on an area with a more affordable cost of living that does not require squatting on public property.

jedidiahperkins September 18, 2024 (2:42 pm)

Interestingly enough, there are unhoused people in all 50 states, so where do you recommend people go to “re-assess and focus on an area with a more affordable cost of living,” especially when they have nothing to begin with?

I’m glad you have never needed help in life but I can assure you that is not the case for the majority of people in this world.

Seattlite September 18, 2024 (2:34 pm)

A big THANK YOU to all who were involved in this cleanup!

mem September 18, 2024 (3:09 pm)

I’m suggesting no overnight parking zone on Trenton. Residents of neighboring streets, SWAC participants and students at CSHS would be free to use the sidewalks without garbage, drug dealing, stolen goods exchange and prostitution. This is a simple remedy- let’s use it and ENFORCE it! That fiasco cannot come back!I agree with Paul, vehicles that cannot pass already existing inspections should be removed from the streets or be subject to confiscation. Let’s be clear- all of the people in these vehicles have been offered some kind of housing or shelter and have refused it. Why? To carry on their nefarious activities! Any person who is parking overnight should have residential sticker similar to those streets near the ferry. That enforcement has worked for those more affluent neighborhoods- let’s use it for this section of West Seattle. Right now- South Delridge, Seattle Community College, Westwood Village – basically the SE section of West Seattle has a whack-a-mole scenario going on. And city officials are not helping us. We are frustrated, overwhelmed and devastated to continually have to deal with this mess. Where’s are relief??? And the remedy is so simple- parking signage and enforcement once again.

Tomas September 20, 2024 (11:32 am)

You hit the nail on the head. Laws are meaningless without enforcement. Seattle has forgotten how to enforce it laws at multiple levels.Ultimately the willingness to enforce (or not enforce) laws lays at the feet of our politicians. It’s thru their policies that they selectively choose what, if, and how laws are enforced/prioritized.

HP11 September 18, 2024 (3:54 pm)

I’ve read many thoughtful and impassioned comments from both sides of this issue. For those who are pointing out the many valid reasons that folks living in RVs choose not to give up their vehicle, what do you feel should be the alternative that will both meet the needs of the unhoused and also support the communities living near encampments? How would you suggest that criminal activity and sanitation issues be addressed? I am struggling with understanding how we can deal with this issue in the short term until affordable, low-barrier housing options are available (including safe lots) in a way that meets the needs of all our neighbors.

Darren September 18, 2024 (4:10 pm)

It only took around 5 years. Great job. No surprise what ultimately happened which led to the sweep. Meanwhile, you can indefinitely ignore the 72 hour law as well as license plate and tab law on any block in the city.

Lisa September 18, 2024 (9:43 pm)

Um, I got a ticket downtown for expired tabs while my car was parked. So your statement is not completely true…

B September 19, 2024 (12:40 am)

Progress!

Scarlett September 19, 2024 (8:58 am)

Modern day “conservatism” has deteriorated into an intellectual wasteland of grunting, bellowing and insufferable whining. This “one size fits all” justice system has never, ever existed, except in Sheriff Andy and Deputy Fife’s Mayberry. Go watch some re-runs and let the rest of us deal with the real world.

momosmom September 19, 2024 (7:09 pm)

My husband was just at WWV (9/19 @6PM) at the Xfinity Store and as he was leaving he sees a man and a woman with arm fulls of clothing running towards Barton and down thru the alleyway behind Village/Daystar so RV’s may be gone but the crime isn’t.

SoLongDelridge September 20, 2024 (7:53 am)

You expected something different?
- momosmom September 20, 2024 (8:54 pm)
  
  @solongdelridge, No I wasn’t expecting anything different but some of the comments on this post and the other one thought the crime would disappear if the RV’s did and as you see…

Sorry, comment time is over.