City crews in 16th/Barton RV-encampment area

A few days ago, we noticed “no parking” signs up on SW Barton for today through Thursday, both sides of 16th SW, in an area known for RV camping. The city info-flyer attached to some of the signs listed the purpose as “remediation” – cleanup – as part of the Clean City program. On the day we saw the signs, RVs had already cleared out of the west block, but were still in view on the east side. So we went by to check this morning; no RVs in sight on either block, but city Parking Enforcement officers were there (above), and while we were there, a flatbed tow truck arrived, apparently for the livestock trailer left east of 16th:

We’re following up with the city’s Unified Care Team.

DRW December 2, 2025 (12:26 pm)

Drug deals, broken into mailboxes, people wandering up to our front doors, garbage being dumped, stolen packages. It hasn’t been pretty. Thank you for cleaning this up again.

BR December 2, 2025 (2:20 pm)

Agreed. The drug deals were going on all hours of the night and it was crazy how many strung out people were in a two block area just because of the one RV that was connected to the livestock trailer they dumped. I wish the City actually enforced the new parking restrictions they placed on Barton. You can actually see the limited parking sign in the first picture.

Question Authority December 2, 2025 (12:55 pm)

It’s appropriate and necessary to do these “remediation’s” because allowing these encampments serves neither the neighborhood or the dwellers. Service resistant street campers cannot just continue to squat wherever they please, slowly destroying themselves and the adjoining area in the name of independence and freedom. Actions have consequences and this is just a tool and carrot to help them make better decisions and improve their lives thru offers of assistance.

Jake December 2, 2025 (2:53 pm)

I just wish once, just once, you’d actually question authority. Sweeps do not work. We need to be opening RV parks and tiny house villages so the roads can clear up. We need to stop reactionarily responding and be proactive.
- Question Authority December 2, 2025 (3:31 pm)
  
  Nowhere in your plea do you mention anything about drug or mental illness treatment, because shelter without tools to change destructive behaviors is no different than an encampment. Homeowners, renters, business owners all pay taxes and levees that are to address this public issue, I am not alone in wanting accountability for that investment.
- anonyme December 2, 2025 (4:05 pm)
  
  RV parks and tiny house villages have RULES, which is why these particular RV dwellers would never agree to inhabit them. These are not victims. They are perpetrators. The only reason sweeps don’t work is because these criminals just set up shop elsewhere.
- Rhonda December 2, 2025 (4:32 pm)
  
  Jake, It’s pretty disgusting that you have ZERO compassion for hard-working residents paying high rents/mortgages & struggling to make ends meet while drug users conduct dangerous activities at their doorsteps. You have absolutely no idea the nightmare they’ve had to endure while waiting for the city to act.
- Paul December 2, 2025 (4:43 pm)
  
  The main issue is most of these people are not going to go into a camp, or parking lot because there will be rules, and they are mostly lawless. I see this every day when passing various “camps” around the city when I am out working. And I personally have had many run ins with them in the SODO district when I am going to and from work.
- Lauren December 2, 2025 (9:09 pm)
  
  I think y’all are missing Jake’s point. If I’m correct, he’s not saying do nothing—he’s saying do something that actually works. Sweeps do not work, for anyone, including the neighborhood residents who are impacted by encampments. There’s a ton of research that shows this. There are other solutions we could be implementing (like proactive housing) that actually ARE shown to be effective at getting people into stable, long-term housing and improving our communities.
  - Kyle December 3, 2025 (8:09 pm)
    
    Naw, waiting untold YEARS for Seattle to theoretically “proactively solve the problem” is what really isn’t working. Sweeps at least mean someone can’t camp and do drugs indefinitely in front of your house.
- 1994 December 2, 2025 (9:19 pm)
  
  Seattle tried the RV lots. Very expensive to operate and the RV dwellers were not compliant with rules established to use the RV lots…..The RV dwellers seem to be in a lose lose situation due to lack of interest to make a change. And no, the change can’t be a total free ride to housing & food as some may imagine. The world does not run on total free rides.

k December 2, 2025 (3:03 pm)

I really got my hopes up they’d do something about those eco blocks the business placed on Cambridge. People keep hitting them, knocking them out of place, and breaking chunks off all over the road. They’re way more of a menace than the RVs ever were. The city already made it 4-hour parking. No one wants your DIY parking spot nanny.

Canton December 2, 2025 (6:09 pm)

As a vicinity resident, it’s not residential parking causing the damage, it’s the rv’s trying to squeeze in, and make room…
- K December 2, 2025 (8:22 pm)
  
  It’s not people parking at all that are knocking them out of place and breaking chunks off into the street. It’s people just trying to drive down the street. The blocks are poorly placed, in an unprofessional way, and that little bit of spray paint that wore off within a week is not at all sufficient to make these obstacles stand out in the dark when someone is driving. The first one has already gotten tagged, it’s just a matter of time before the rest do, furthering the blight on the neighborhood. I’m an area resident too. I see those stupid blocks every day, and the mess they’re creating. I can’t wait until they’re gone.
  - Canton December 3, 2025 (7:56 am)
    
    Are you saying, it’s random residents playing bumper car pinball with no headlights?… Your scenerio seems fair fetched. What tactics would you suggest, besides, do nothing…
    - K December 3, 2025 (12:17 pm)
      
      If you knew the neighborhood, you’d have your answer. Plenty of people drive through that don’t live there. With the lighting in the area, even with headlights, they still get hit regularly. The solution was installed 24 hours after the blocks showed up: it’s a 4-hour parking zone. The blocks are unnecessary, the city addressed the ongoing issue. Now the blocks are just gwtting knocked all over the street and broken, creating hazards for everyone.
    - Br December 3, 2025 (4:40 pm)
      
      If you knew the neighborhood, you would know the 4-hour parking restriction is not enforced. If you need evidence, just read this article.

ES December 2, 2025 (3:13 pm)

Finally! This corner has become absolutely covered in litter again recently. And wasn’t this where the jogger was assaulted and shot at in broad daylight a couple weeks ago?

Dp December 2, 2025 (4:24 pm)

It’s getting really bad everywhere. The park on 35th the viewpoint park is very dirty ands big encampment is starting

HP resident December 2, 2025 (5:33 pm)

Without concrete blocks installed the rotating encampment on this block will just return. I stopped riding my bike on that stretch due to safety concerns. On Cambridge St the concrete blocks have kept RV’s away for the most part except for one parked in front of a driveway for over a month without enforcement.

Delridge Resident December 3, 2025 (12:24 am)

Now can they do the same for all the RVs parked in front of south Seattle community college on 16th Ave Sw? RVs leave trash all up and down the street and more and more of them keep moving there. There are young college kids who go probably want to go to college there but don’t because it looks like a homeless encampment rather than a college. Embarrassing our publicly-funded community colleges look like this.

Rob December 3, 2025 (7:37 am)

Just imagine if we did a 400 dollar a year property tax increase. The money would go towards a 10 thousand room detention center. Also to pay high salary for gaurds. Then let say you get caught shoplifting you spend a week in jail because there’s room same for any criminal offenses. More time for car theft. Maybe the garenttee that you will loose your freedom just for awhile might change the minds of these petty criminals.

Penny P December 3, 2025 (7:59 am)

We were literally monetarily and even more so for living life safely – forced to move out of the State I was born in and lived in my entire life. It would take too much space and time to list all of the occurrences we sadly had to live through in the last 10 to 12 years in Seattle. I could no longer walk by myself or even take the dog outside for fear of threat from being accosted and beaten by the homeless and or mentally ill or running across needles and human debris.. my son still lives in Ballard and we worry for his safety daily. Seattle used to be a great city – now it’s crossed a line into darkness

Jay December 3, 2025 (9:09 am)

This particular type of camp is a failure of law enforcement. Selling fentanyl, trafficking prostitutes, and theft rings should be prosecuted. All homeless encampments are treated the same and a lot of good people get swept, but the criminals are mobile and will be gone the moment the signs go up. SPD and the City Attorney are just not doing their jobs. We’re told that we need police, not care teams, to deal with the homeless. But when an issue in a homeless camp actually requires law enforcement, law enforcement just ignores the problem and moves it to another neighborhood. The NIMBY politicians just do easy, performative actions instead of making SPD and the City Attorney roll up their sleeves and do the real work that needs to be done. Hopefully this past election is a signal that the people of Seattle are waking up to the performative nature of current policy and ask for real reforms and the difficult work that SPOG and Ann Davidson don’t want to do.

PDiddy December 3, 2025 (10:42 am)

I think the simplest solution is to pass an ordinance that you cannot
park and live in an RV on city streets. Also they need to enforce the
safety and licensing for the vehicles. A lot of these all came from out
of state because they knew they could live for free on the city streets.
Its a shame honestly to see our neighborhoods invaded by these sleazy
RVs. I have seen a few who are not trashy, maintain the space but most
do not. They like to congregate next the the South Seattle college. I am
constantly reporting them but nothing happens. I dont want to be
heartless but after a while enough is enough. The large majority are
gaming the system. Give the enforcement on parking back to SPD and be
relentless with enforcement and they will move on. Before you all hammer me know that a lot of these are continually offered assistance but refuse it because its easier to steal and get high than take help.

Scarlett December 3, 2025 (12:45 pm)

Better get used it, because this is America 2025 and the way its going to be well into the future, if not indefinitely, as the wealth chasm continues to widen obscenely. If you think you can have all the goodies of predatory economic system with no societal price attached to it, then you’re either deliberately lying to yourselves or you’re selectively – and deceptively – applying that fundamental truism about life.

Sorry, comment time is over.