FOLLOWUP: What the city says about east-of-35th encampment sweep, and what’s next

| Environment | Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, Wednesday morning, 35th/Edmunds)

As promised, we asked the city followup questions about the sweep on Wednesday in the encampment area east of 35th, from West Seattle Stadium to Camp Long. Here are the answers we received late today:

WSB: How much stuff was removed?

REPLY: “During the restoration, approximately 2.5 tons of debris were removed.”

WSB: How many people were connected with shelter?

REPLY: “(The Unified Care Team) connected five people with shelter and one with case management services.”

WSB: What’s next?

REPLY: “Planning is underway in coordination with multiple City departments to maintain the area so that it remains clean and accessible for public use.”

We also noted that there was no hint of the sweep plan when the city answered our inquiry last Thursday about plans for the site; the notice we showed on Monday said it had been posted Friday, so it was clearly in the planning phase when we inquired. The city’s response noted: “The UCT does not share specific resolution dates externally due to staff safety and possible changes in scheduling due to resource constraints.”

Eric Lillywhite April 16, 2026 (8:09 pm)

There are still needles in the far south campsite.

David April 16, 2026 (8:12 pm)

Well it sure didn’t work. Many homeless/strung out drug addicts were there with their junk around 4:30 pm when I drove past heading home from work. They were back in less than 24 hours.

Local April 16, 2026 (8:34 pm)

Saw a houseless peeing all over the Brooksdale senior windows in broad daylight today along 35th. Also a group of about 8 people with backs to the street on Alaska St by the cat hotel. Nothing has changed after this cleanup. They’ll just find a new place to sleep without a tent.

Erik April 16, 2026 (8:39 pm)

There were 4 homeless people back at the park when I drove by around noon. What specific steps is the city going to do to make sure that the park is kept in condition for public use?

1994 April 16, 2026 (8:45 pm)

2.5 tons of debris?!? That is a lot of garbage! The city should not allow these tent situations to fester. There is no good that comes out of allowing these tent situations to go on for weeks, or months. Only violence, death, piles of debris, and poor quality of life that seeps into the neighborhoods. There are options for the tent people but refusal should not be an option. The tent people have to live within the budget the city & taxpayers can provide and that does not include trashing parks or greenbelts.

K April 17, 2026 (8:57 am)

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Mayor Wilson’s RV safe lots and other initiatives are not yet up and running, which means the city still only has about 2500 shelter spaces for nearly 20,000 homeless people. There are NOT options for everyone, and accepting services often means only a single night at a shelter or a spot on a wait list, not stable indoor housing. Why separate yourself from your belongings and your community when you’ve been let down by the “services” offered before?
- The 33 April 17, 2026 (4:03 pm)
  
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  This broken record faux excuse is getting old. Bottom line – they offered shelter and services and the offer was refused. It wasn’t capacity – it was choice. Guess what, if the offer of free services is not what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to earn your own type of your choosing. You don’t get to pick and choose what’s offered on other people’s money. Let’s be real and adult here. Time for these folks to grow up or get out.
  - k April 17, 2026 (5:38 pm)
    
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    This broken record of ignorant accusations is getting old. Bottom line – it is public record how many shelter spaces exist and it is well documented how many homeless people there are in this city. It’s your choice to believe data or not. If the offer of facts is not what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to a reality of your own choosing I suppose, but it won’t change the situation. You don’t get to pick and choose what the reality is for the homeless population and what isn’t. Let’s be real and adult here. It’s time for you to grow up or sit this conversation out.
  - Burgerman April 18, 2026 (5:10 pm)
    
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    The 33 – As someone who tends to agree that house-less addicts with long criminal rap sheets and a history of refusing treatment and housing, need carceral accountability, your comment is incredibly either 1) naive, or 2) ignorant. Maybe a little of both.
4thammendment April 17, 2026 (2:55 pm)

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They should have trash pickup weekly available. Where are they supposed to put the trash inevitably made by humans?

Chane Wong April 16, 2026 (9:01 pm)

How many people refused assistance? Important questions that somehow never get asked.

WSB April 16, 2026 (10:15 pm)

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Yes, I asked how many people they found AND how many accepted shelter. They did not answer the first part. Postmortems in the last administration generally did. I got the reply after 5 pm so no chance yet to re-ask.
Anne April 16, 2026 (10:35 pm)

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Did you see the number of tents there? Out of all of them only 5 took assistance. So the majority did not. That answers my question.
- 4thammendment April 17, 2026 (2:57 pm)
  
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  There could have been only five spaces available. Usually that’s the case they offer the same five units but some are for specific needs or populations and not everyone qualifies for those. The low barrier shelter needed for people in the camp isn’t available.
Michael April 17, 2026 (10:29 am)

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Many refuse I’m thinking these are the people we see out and about causing problems at 3 am , last night a guy was absolutely terrified sad sick freaked out but they came and 51/50 the guy I wish they had mental health facilities in king county but….

Drew April 16, 2026 (9:11 pm)

There were already 3 tents back up in the area when I drove north on 35th at 9 o’clock this morning

Ronald April 16, 2026 (10:32 pm)

REPLY: “(The Unified Care Team) connected five people with shelter and one with case management services.”So there was only 6 tents🙄🙄🙄

bolo April 17, 2026 (12:14 am)

Lots of items piled around the totem pole area. I’m presuming several campers have moved to the urban encampment along the newer N/S bike trail along the train tracks a few blocks west of T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field (stadiums), as those populations have recently swelled significantly.

don'tblockme April 17, 2026 (6:52 am)

This State and City is such a “joke” this situation is so out of control and it doesn’t matter how much taxpayer money they take from us or what they do these clean-up/sweeps it’ll never be fixed or under control. Officials are so over their heads they’re drowning but they ask for more money. And 2.5 tons of garbage from just this sight and so much more from other sights how can this be “green”? This State is so bent on being “green” and we gotta save the Earth but how is this doing so, where does all this garbage go how is it safely environmentally destroyed?

Charles Burlingame April 17, 2026 (10:22 am)

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What exactly do you think happens to the garbage that you take out of your house? It’s certainly not “environmentally destroyed” it goes to a dump.
- don'tblockme April 17, 2026 (2:17 pm)
  
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  Yes I know that my garbage goes to the “dump” but I also sort out recycle, garbage and food waste. I do not have toxic foil, needles, broken down metal, propane tanks miscellaneous plastics, furniture. Do you think this garbage is sorted? Also the area where we put our cans out every week is not contaminated with the toxins you find at the camps. I realize they have nowhere to throw their garbage but also their garbage is not the usual as yours and mine. So I still find it enviromentally unsafe.

Brian April 17, 2026 (7:13 am)

Does the 2.5 tons include all of their personal belongings that got thrown away?

snowskier April 17, 2026 (11:59 am)

How about a revised plan. First removal plan involves offer of services and help with a notice to not return. 1-2 days later a followup involves either acceptance of services or forceable removal for trespass and processing into jail where triage can be performed to direct to treatment, mental health services or court for outstanding warrants.

K April 17, 2026 (12:27 pm)

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For the city or state to require services, they have to be able to offer the services they are requiring. That’s how the law works.

There are not enough transitional housing beds, openings in treatment centers, case managers, etc. to provide services to every single homeless person in the city. They can provide like maybe 10-15%.

So your “requirement” rule won’t get anyone more services, it would just provide grounds for a class action lawsuit, costing the state millions that will then go to lawyers while the homeless situation stays the same.

Any meaningful change in homeless policy HAS to start with significant investments in available services. We keep throwing resources at sweeps and other short-term solutions that do nothing long term.
- Kyle April 18, 2026 (8:02 am)
  
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  Look, I get your macro comment. But these folks WERE offered shelter and services. These are the subset causing the most community harm and they continue to DENY help. They were offered those few beds and resources, but continue to choose the park and living dangerously. (had a similar problem with a core group of RV’s in Highland Park last summer). If they really wanted to be part of the community take some steps when they are offered, or there should be consequences for continuing to trash/use drugs/violently fight in a public Park.. But the city saying “want help? It’s cool if you don’t, go back to do doing your thing!” Is the wrong approach. Especially, as you point out, because resources are thin.