FOLLOWUP: City says crews will be at Highland Park encampments next week

| Highland Park | West Seattle news

Just in from the city’s Unified Care Team:

On Tuesday, June 17, the Unified Care Team (UCT) will be performing activities to ensure specific street parking are accessible to the public and conduct a thorough cleaning of the location. As of today, A-frame signs were placed indicating no parking in designated areas from 6/17 – 6/21. A visual map of these designated areas is (above).

UCT has been and will continue to provide regular site cleanings to the above sites as well as other areas in Highland Park in hopes of mitigating public impact by removing trash, debris, and dangerous objects like propane tanks and human waste.

If you observe returning vehicles, not in compliance with city parking regulations, please report them as abandoned vehicles using the City’s Find It, Fix It mobile app. As always, dangerous or criminal activity should be reported to 9-1-1 including drug use, theft, and trespassing.

Please reach out to UCT’s community liaison Tom Van Bronkhorst (tom.vanbronkhorst@seattle.gov) with any further questions.

If you’re having trouble reading the map, it includes the area often brought up at HP community meetings, 9th/Henderson.

Derek June 13, 2025 (7:37 pm)

Sweeps do NOTHING. Just hurts families who are struggling.

Leslie June 13, 2025 (8:44 pm)

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Exactly. It’s a waste of taxpayer money and not a real solution to our current housing and economic crisis. Not to mention that these sweeps can result in loss of important documents and medications belonging to the unhoused.
- Kyle June 13, 2025 (9:26 pm)
  
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  The RVs in this part of Highland Park have lived on the same streets for 3+ years. These are the SAME RVs the entire time. How long is this okay? $10 They will deny services again and move a few blocks down. They don’t want to change how they are living or get help with a program. After, I don’t know, your 30th time getting your RV orange tagged you should have to accept housing services and help or your RV In impounded. Consequences sometimes help people. Or are we all just waiting for something more tragic to happen to break this cycle.
  - SoLongDelridge June 14, 2025 (1:44 am)
    
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    Only betting $10 on sure thing? I guess the economy is pretty bad and we should expect this situation to worsen.
  - K June 14, 2025 (2:07 am)
    
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    Did it ever occur to you that the instability created by sweeps is WHY they’re still struggling after 3+ years? When you have to move, do you keep looking for jobs and going to interviews on moving day or do you focus on getting your housing set up first? Sweeps mean moving day is happening all the time, and prioritizing a job interview over guarding your home during a sweep could result in a costly impoundment, and render you unable to report to the job if you do get it. Sweeps are part of the problem, not the solution.
    - Kyle June 14, 2025 (7:18 am)
      
      @K so how many more years is it okay to park in front of some unlucky persons house and have your trash and human waste out in buckets? Next time I’m job hunting I’ll just set up shop in your backyard for a few years to smoke and drink so no one causes me instability during my job hunt. And if the city comes and offers me housing services? I’ll just deny the help and move over to your neighbors house. I feel like you are just hypothetically against what you call “sweeps” and don’t know the exact entrenched problem here in Highland Park. I want these folks to get housing, jobs, be a member of our community if they so choose. These have not made any of those positive steps in 3+ years. How much longer should we put up with it?
    - Pp June 14, 2025 (8:07 am)
      
      Yes…I’m sure many of them are focused on getting jobs and being law-abiding citizens. I think we live in a different reality than the one you’re enjoying
flimflam June 14, 2025 (7:54 am)

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Derek – are there families living at the camp?

Alki resident June 13, 2025 (7:50 pm)

Whomever planted flowers in troughs and placed them along 9th, did a great job. I know that’s not cheap. It looks really nice.

k June 13, 2025 (8:11 pm)

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Yes, it’s important to break the laws and take over public right-of-ways in order to make the point that breaking laws and parking in public right-of-ways is bad. The law is just for poor people, after all. And street parking is just for those with housing.
- Kyle June 13, 2025 (9:32 pm)
  
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  The city so far has been unwilling to offer escalating consequences for repeat offenders like these same RVs that have been parking in Highland Park for 3+ years. To the detriment of both HP residents and RVs who park here, dump trash, stockpile likely stolen bikes, smoke, drink, do drugs etc. The city has actually encouraged “taking away parking” as a solution instead of forcing entrenched RV residents to accept help, services, and a path to housing or have their RV impounded after orange tagging it for the umpteenth time. What would you do if it was in front of your house.
  - Jimmy June 14, 2025 (11:03 pm)
    
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    I agree with your points , Kyle. We’ve lived in Highland Park 23 years now and it has escalated recently to having the norm be to have a dilapidated RV sitting right out our front door . And they stay there until the last possible moment before being towed every time, and then return just a few days later . Or a new one rotates in . Seems like they are all over 80” wide in general , so if I understand the law correctly it is technically always illegal parking , irregardless of the 72 hour rule. I’d say that the typical stay until they are pressured to move is a minimum of one week to about three weeks , probably averaging out at two. As for these comments about them having time to search for jobs being interrupted by having to obey the laws we all live under, most all the campers I see remain hunkered down right at their RVs almost all the time from what I see. This park gets a lot of use normally by families , kids sports , reunion picnics , etc. by many people , including a large numbers from the neighborhood within walking distance. The RV illegal camper presence is starting to affect this, I feel. The RV campers often have their stuff strewn around as if they are staking out an amount of territory for themselves , and it feels awkward . It shouldn’t , as it is a public park intended for everyone’s enjoyment. Instead it has become an encampment for a small number of people choosing to live this way . Let alone the fact that there is also an Elementary school at this location. We’ve seen the open air drug use, and what appears to be possible drug dealing , with random cars pulling up for very short visits with some of these campers. Once again , it is very awkward. By that I mean when these people repeatedly keep returning for as long as they possibly can stay , I feel it is as if they are hoping to establish their presence as a norm , perhaps hoping they will be tolerated or even somewhat welcomed to camp out permanently here at this park. And they won’t be , because it’s a public park for all , not a free long term campground for them and a few others exclusively. ( since they do not ever move unless forced to , the space they take over really is theirs exclusively. , once again very opposite to something that is public and shared by the community). I am very glad to see the sweep happen finally , but I do expect them to just keep coming right back . Monitoring and enforcement have been sorely lacking and the problem is rapidly growing lately . Reporting it seems to produce very slow results and it’s very disappointing . At the very minimum the 72 hour parking law should be strictly enforced to keep the pressure on them. Much more satisfying would be to see them strictly enforce the 80” wide parking limitations . If they don’t , people will just keep coming of course. This cannot be an option. And I’m certain that if the roles were reversed , they wouldn’t like someone setting up to live long term in front of their home illegally either. It’s just basic human nature.
- Dwg June 13, 2025 (9:42 pm)
  
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  I doubt they’re trying to make a point. I’m guessing they got tired of the stolen bike chop shop and drug den that up shop in front of their home. There are folks unfortunate enough to live in RVs who are just getting by. That’s not what this group of RVs was up to.
- NorthAdmiralNeighbor June 13, 2025 (10:06 pm)
  
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  Street parking is for everyone, rich or poor. And everyone should be held to the same 72-hour parking limit regardless of whether they’re living in their vehicle or simply parking it in front of their house.
  - k June 14, 2025 (7:52 am)
    
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    I would LOVE it if the city held homeowners to that rule, and the excessively wide vehicle rule too. Get rid of those covered cars that have been on 40th at Fauntleroy for as long as I’ve lived here. Have my neighbor finally move his stupid boat trailer so we don’t have to crawl past with literally just inches to either side when a car is parked across from him. Fine my neighbor for not getting the proper permit for his storage pod and all of the other construction equipment he’s constantly piling in the right-of-way for months on end for his never-ending projects. I don’t live in North Admiral, my house in on the map we’re talking about, on a street all highlighted in yellow. The folks living in the RVs overall break fewer rules and cause fewer problems than the housed people here. Once in a while there’s an RV with people doing the wrong thing, but I can’t remember the last time it took a sweep to get them to move. None have stayed more than a week. The lady two doors down who had the cousin move in and start sealing drugs, which lead to the drive-by shootings… now SHE took almost a year to get rid of. Housed people aren’t automatically innocent and homeless people aren’t automatically criminals. Address the crimes, not the living situations.

5 Years and Counting June 13, 2025 (11:33 pm)

Problem solved. Not in favor of sweeps? Tired of your neighbors taking up right away to block the same wandering groups of RVs coming back time and time again? Think this is impacting the poor and vulnerable unfairly? Post your address here so they can come park in front of your residence. Those of us who have been most impacted will happily walk over and deliver it to them personally, even guide the way. This way you can allow them to use your bathroom instead of allowing their sewage to overflow all over the street. It’s an even more special smell as it’s getting warmer. You can run an extension cord out to them so the can light up their nights ans actually see the fentanyl they are smoking. Introduce You liked, share your internet and computer ski they can look for jobs and an apartment. Heck even lend your tools, bikes, and give them your packages so they don’t need to continue stealing ours. We’d love to share the joy. Hurry act now! The sweeps are coming Tuesday. they will be back by Thursday if you don’t act fast! Take real impactful action other than criticizing behind your veiled screen. Help your Highland Park (and other concentrated pockets) out by sharing the absolute joy these people bring!

Marcus June 14, 2025 (6:51 am)

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Very good “5 years and counting” I agree with you.

T Rex June 14, 2025 (10:07 am)

Living on the streets is putting yourself and others in harms way, drug addiction and alcohol addiction treatment should be MANDATORY, NOT AN OPTION ANY LONGER. Then, you get housing, mandatory counseling, as well as job opportunities that help you to start getting back on your feet. And hopefully the family or friends that you lost because of these addictions and all the things you put them through forgive you and help you more than they ever have. And when you succeed, YOU start helping others like you WERE , with even more passion than anyone because you LIVED IT. What is occurring right now is called enabling, the city and all of you who believe these folks are simply just down on their luck, are the bleeding hearts that fuel the enabling. Humans don’t LIVE like this: stolen goods everywhere, garbage in the street etc. because they want to, it’s because they no have no other choices because of these addictions. They lost everything because of their addictions. There maybe exceptions but I have not seen them in West Seattle.

mem June 14, 2025 (12:32 pm)

Thank you Unified Care Team and to all the city officials/ workers who have worked hard to create a safe environment for the residents of Highland Park while continually offering assistance to those in RV’s and other vehicles. We appreciate your efforts!!! All those areas highlighted have been plagued with hazardous garbage and illegal activities too numerous to list. Residents and students in Highland Park need and deserve to have safe access to the parks, the elementary and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood.