(Spittlebug on lavender stem in West Seattle garden – photographed by Rosalie Miller)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: Weekly meetup for long-distance political advocacy and local networking, 10:30 am at C & P Coffee Company – drop in to join in. (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open daily, 11 am-8 pm, rain or shine. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon): “Are you looking for a new activity to keep your brain sharp and clear? The Senior Center Chess Club welcomes both novice and experienced players. Join us at 1:30 p.m. for lessons, short tutorials, and chess for all levels of expertise.” (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

HOUSING LEVY @ CITY COUNCIL: 2 pm this afternoon, it’s the full council’s weekly meeting, online or at City Hall (600 4th Ave.). Voting to send the renewed/expanded housing levy to voters is a major item on the agenda (viewable here); the meeting is viewable via Seattle Channel.

MEAT MARKET: 4-8 pm (or while the merchandise lasts), Wagyu beef and more at Lady Jaye‘s periodic meat market, plus Father’s Day-style photo booth. (4523 California SW)

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.

STORYTIME IN THE GARDEN: 6 pm stories and activities for kids at the Delridge P-Patch, weekly throughout the summer starting tonight. (5078 25th SW)

CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Questions or concerns about West Seattle’s only sanctioned encampment/tiny-house village? 6 pm online meeting tonight, all welcome. Connect here or by phone at 253-215-8782; for both: meeting ID 840 8571 9253, passcode 245935.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Myriad updates are on the agenda for this 7 pm FCA board meeting, all welcome, at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) or online (register here).

OPEN MIC: 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks, hosted by Michael Pearsall. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

MORE TRIVIA: Three places where you can play Tuesday nights – 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW); also, 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).

BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!

You can look into the future any time via our event calendar – if you have something to include on it, please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

All welcome for updates, questions, comments: us02web.zoom.us/j/84085719253

(Passcode: 245935)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment is under new management. Camp Second Chance is still operated by LIHI, which has the contract to run it on city-owned land at 9701 Myers Way South, but in recent months, its on-site managers have changed. The new managers met with the CSC Community Advisory Committee for the first time this past Tuesday night. The online meeting was the first in a few months because of logistics challenges that resulted in previous cancellations.

The new managers who talked with committee members are Daniel Weiss, the LIHI program manager accountable for four tiny-house encampments including CSC, on-site manager Michelle Yellow Robe, and case manager Ashley Freeman.

Currently, the site has 64 tiny houses, six of which are empty and undergoing maintenance, and 65 people, including some couples sharing a tiny house, plus 10 pets (seven dogs and three cats). Freeman is the lone case manager at the moment, with an open position for a second one; the task of assisting more than 60 people with needs including housing and job searches “can be overwhelming at times,” she acknowledged. But people continue to be placed in housing, she said, some to LIHI apartment buildings, but others to a variety of housing options all the way down to “rooms for rent.” LIHI can assist in placement of clients by paying their first/last months’ rent and deposit.

Weiss said the new managers have been stressing that “we want to help them keep moving along and get into permanent housing.” Yellow Robe added, “It’s a program, a stepping stone, not just a place to stay (indefinitely).”

That understanding isn’t shared by all, they said, particularly police whose help they have sought with removing problematic people from CSC. This issue surfaced last fall, as we reported in coverage of October’s Community Advisory Committee meeting. LIHI’s Josh Castle said CSC had required some police responses recently after a client assaulted a staffer, punching them in the face. He said police refused to remove the client from the site, insisting it was a landlord/tenant issue and that they couldn’t “evict” someone. When we followed up on the previous issue last fall, city homelessness-response spokesperson Linda Robson told us, “Legally, for purposes regarding evictions, tiny houses are considered emergency shelter, not housing.” But Castle said SPD has refused to help them in situations like this, at other LIHI tiny-house encampments as well as at CSC. In this situation, Castle said, an arrest would have been most appropriate, but “we just want them to leave the village.” Yellow Robe added that beyond the safety risk of having this person remain at CSC, it sets a bad example for others staying there – “The other clients are watching this and they think it’s a free for all.” One committee member suggested LIHI take the issue to the City Attorney’s Office.

The city did apparently take action on another problem, RVs and junk – not associated with CSC, accumulated along Myers Way adjacent to it. Weiss said he had filed a Find It Fix It report and cleanup/dispersal followed. Meantime, the camp is working on a new gate/fence in front to improve security. Committee members asked if the camp had any specific needs at the moment with which the community could assist; Freeman said she was looking into planning some activities such as an Easter dinner and egg hunt. Weiss said in general they are looking to bring in “more community partners” to provide services.

The Camp Second Chance Community Action Committee‘s monthly meetings are usually on second Tuesdays at 6 pm, online, open to all; email Josh Castle at LIHI to get on the announcement list – – and/or watch for the meeting info in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

(Photo by James Bratsanos)

Many options on the Tuesday list, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SOUTH PARK FLOODING BRIEFING: That’s part of the agenda for the City Council Public Safety and Human Services Committee meeting that’s about to begin (9:30 am) – here’s the agenda; the meeting is viewable via Seattle Channel. (Note that as of publication time, the online stream is having trouble – here are other ways to watch/listen.)

CITY COUNCIL: 2 pm this afternoon brings the full council’s weekly meeting, online or at City Hall (600 4th Ave.). See the agenda here; the meeting is also viewable via Seattle Channel.

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Longstanding weekly sign-waving demonstration at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.

LION DEN: Cub Scout Pack 282 is starting a Lion Den for kindergarteners, 6 pm at West Side Presbyterian Church (3601 California SW).

CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Monthly chance for updates and Q/A about West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment, 6 pm – online meeting, with participation information in our calendar listing.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

HOPE LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: The preschool at 42nd/Oregon welcomes prospective families to visit tonight at 6:30 pm.

BOEING EMPLOYEES CHOIR: Open rehearsals start tonight in West Seattle:

Join the Boeing Employees Choir — even if you aren’t a Boeing employee! We’re looking for more singers to round out our top notch concert choir. We’re traveling to Greece and Turkey in the Fall of 2024! We rehearse every Tuesday night, 6:30 – 9:00 pm, at the American Legion Hall, 3618 SW Alaska St. Open rehearsals for all interested singers begin Tuesday, Jan. 10th and continue through Tuesday, Feb. 14th. If you feel we’re the right fit for you, schedule a simple vocal audition. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit group and we sing throughout the year at local Puget Sound retirement homes, churches, and community centers. Singers are asked to make a donation of $100 per season. We tour abroad every few years — most recently to Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Scotland. Make a resolution to sing more and have more fun! For more info email: president@boeingchoir.org.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm meeting at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill) with agenda including a look ahead to this year’s neighborhood plans and a chance to hear from/talk with a local police rep.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: All welcome to attend the FCA‘s monthly board meeting in person or online, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW)

SEATTLE METROPOLITAN SINGERS: This award-winning choir rehearses in West Seattle! Tonight’s announcement (postponed from last week):

The Seattle Metropolitan Singers are starting their next season on Tuesday, January 10th. Rehearsals are 7 pm to 9 pm every Tuesday at the Senior Center of West Seattle [4217 SW Oregon]. This choir won The People’s Choice award at the 2022 Great Figgy Pudding Competition at Pike Place Market. This is a treble voice choir and all are welcome to join that fit in that vocal range. Please e-mail the_met@seattlegleeclubs.org if any questions. Or check out their website seattlegleeclubs.org/themet

OPEN MIC: Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way) invites you to take the stage, starting at 7 pm.

TRIVIA X 3: Three places where you can play Tuesday nights – 7 pm at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).

BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!

You can always see more, and preview future events, via our event calendar – if you have something for us to list, please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Here are Camp Second Chance updates from this past week’s Community Advisory Committee meeting:

CAMP STATUS: CSC manager Scott Harris said 72 people are at the 9701 Myers Way S. [map] tiny-house encampment, plus four dogs and three cats. Case manager Marjorie Johnson said eight people had left the camp in the preceding month – seven to permanent housing, one to stay with family members. It’s been a “constantly busy” month, she explained, with more than 20 people still awaiting housing, including 15 people who’ve applied to the Dockside Apartments in Green Lake, now owned by LIHI, which operates CSC and other tiny-house encampments around the city.

CAMP INFRASTRUCTURE: Harris said they’re still working on an upgrade of the video-monitoring system, which currently has more than a dozen cameras. Asked what’s done with the video, he said it’s kept for a week. In ensuing discussion, LIHI’s tiny-house program manager Christina Comer said the video is available to police on request. The city-provided shower trailer is connected to the city sewer system but still needs a few pump-outs each week because a design problem is keeping the connection from “easily flowing.”

FOLLOWUPS: No one in attendance asked about recently discussed problems, so we did. First – the person described last month as refusing to leave CSC has finally departed. Second – regarding the case of a double-murder suspect who had been at CSC earlier in the year and allegedly assaulted a woman while there, Comer said referrals to CSC come from the city’s HOPE Team, and background checks are not required – except to ensure the referred person is not a registered sex offender (that was a condition dating back to community concerns years ago).

DONATIONS: With winter approaching, Harris said CSC can use donations of mittens, gloves, warm socks, warm hats (particularly beanies). You can drop items at the main entrance any time.

NEXT MEETING: The committee will meet again online at 6 pm Tuesday, December 13th. All are welcome. We’ll have video/phone info in our calendar listing.

In the years since West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment, Camp Second Chance, set up on the Myers Way Parcels, it’s been mostly low-drama. This week, though, a mention emerged in court documents for a previous accusation against the man charged in last Sunday’s double murder in Georgetown. LIHI, which has the contract to operate CSC, sent its Community Advisory Committee members – and us – this email about the situation today:

We wanted to inform you of two serious incidents that occurred by the same person who was a previous client of Camp Second Chance. One of these happened at Camp Second Chance and the other at LIHI’s Martin Court Apartments, which provides transitional housing for homeless people in Georgetown.

1) On August 15, John Williams, a client at Camp Second Chance at the time, had assaulted other clients. LIHI called SPD and he was arrested by police for these assaults and permanently exited from the site. We recently learned from a news report last night that in addition to these assaults, on July 18, Mr. Williams allegedly committed an attempted rape of a guest who came to the site with him. Please note that while the media reported this, it has not been confirmed with us by SPD. There were no reports brought to our attention about this incident.

2) On Sunday, Oct. 30, this same person, John Williams, accompanied a resident to her apartment at Martin Court. The police have him in custody as a suspect for allegedly brutally killing this resident and a guest of hers in the apartment. John Williams is not a resident of Martin Court. SPD was able to find and arrest John shortly after the tragic incident. We are fully cooperating with SPD and the investigation is still underway. Grief counseling is being provided for our residents and staff and traumatic leave offered for our building staff.

We are devastated by these terrible incidents and working closely with clients, residents and site staff to support them in the grieving process and recovery from trauma through counseling and other means. We have taken measures to increase safety and staffing.

Unfortunately there has been an increasing number of crimes and violent incidents at our sites, which is being experienced across the region by other non-profit providers, businesses, and neighbors. We are meeting with SPD soon to discuss these incidents and ways we can partner more closely together on addressing violent criminal behavior that impacts our sites, residents, clients, and staff. We are encouraging SPD to more consistently support the safety of our villagers and staff by allowing us to fully enforce our code of conduct and its zero tolerance policy on violence and helping us exit clients in violation who pose a safety risk.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says that Williams was arrested July 19th in the attempted rape case, and that bail was initially set at $75,000 – half what prosecutors asked for – but that he had to be released three days later because SPD had not sent the documents needed to file charges (and still has not).

Then, after the August 15 arrest mentioned above, he spent eight days in jail, according to online records. Less than two weeks after that, he was arrested September 3rd for assault and weapons charges that were prosecuted by the City Attorney’s Office; he served his sentence and got out last Friday, two days before the Georgetown murders. What we don’t know is whether the August 15th arrest and “exit” was the last time he was at Camp Second Chance; we have followup questions out to LIHI. Williams remains in the King County Jail, held without bail.

Meantime, the next Community Advisory Council meeting for Camp Second Chance is next Tuesday (November 8th), online at 6 pm, and as always, all are welcome – we’ll have connection/call-in information in the daily preview list that day, and in our event-calendar listing as soon as it’s provided.

Is a tiny-house encampment emergency shelter or housing?

That question has posed some problems for Camp Second Chance, according to discussion at this week’s monthly meeting of CSC’s Community Advisory Committee.

Camp staff said they’d been trying to kick out one person who had refused to follow requirements for staying at CSC – including chores and working with case managers – and who also had parked several derelict vehicles in and around the 9701 Myers Way South site. Two of them were towed hours before Tuesday night’s online meeting. “Four or five” others had been tagged by Parking Enforcement. The person had been the reason for three of the five 911 calls made by the camp in the past month (the other two were medical), said CSC manager Scott Harris, but he has holed up in a tiny house and refuses to leave. That’s where the question of “shelter or housing” came in – Harris said police were contending the camp was housing and so trying to remove the person would be a form of eviction. We’ve asked the city’s homelessness-response spokesperson for clarification on what tiny-house encampments are considered to be, and are still awaiting the answer.

Other updates:

CSC currently has 73 people – all its tiny houses are occupied, and any that become open are immediately filled. Case manager Marjorie Johnson said 17 of them are awaiting permanent housing at the buildings now owned/operated by LIHI, which also runs CSC and other tiny-house encampments. Ten are awaiting units at Dockside in Green Lake, four have applied to Boylston on Capitol Hill, and three elsewhere. Johnson hopes they will all be housed by the end of November. The day before the meeting, two people who had been at the camp since 2019 left for Dockside, and she said that was such a happy departure that she cried. She also finally has help – newly hired case manager Jenn Hunt was introduced.

Longtime CAC member Grace Stiller said her program Weed Warriors is continuing its work at the Myers Way Parcels – the city-owned land that includes CSC’s site – and again will have grant-funded stipends for campers to join in the restoration work.

The camp’s shower trailer is not yet connected to the sewer system, apparently because of a design issue with the trailer. They’re also working to get the trailer electrified, as the fire marshal frowns on the current use of propane.

NEXT MEETING: Online, 6 pm November 8th. All are welcome – this is a city-mandated forum for questions or concerns about CSC.

-Tracy Record, WSB editor

The expanded-capacity Camp Second Chance in southeast West Seattle [map] continues to operate at capacity. That’s part of what the tiny-house encampment’s Community Advisory Committee heard at its online meeting Tuesday night, facilitated by case manager Marjorie Johnson.

CAMP STATUS: 75 people right now, including 10 couples – so its 65 tiny houses are all occupied. Eight pets – four dogs, four cats. Four 911 calls were made in the past month – two medical, two police. Two people had to leave the camp “for violence.” In August, 15 people in all exited the camp – 12 were “abandonments” (meaning they just departed of their own volition, likely back to the street); 2 went to jail; 1 went to permanent housing. 15 IDs and 20+ Social Security cards were procured in August; she has applications out for apartments for more than a dozen campers. Right now there’s a woman at the camp whose two children are with her mom since CSC doesn’t allow children, and Johnson just found out that the woman has a chance at a Section 8 voucher. Also, there’s housing available in Everett, and multiple possibilities for people over 62. One client – “one of our originals” – received an emergency-housing voucher and gave it back because “they’re making over 80 percent median income and don’t need the voucher any more.” (That means CSC got the voucher back to use for someone else.) The camp has a full-time mental-health/chemical-dependency counselor; several tiny-house villages are partnering with Therapeutic Health Services for this kind of support. Johnson said she’s gotten housing for 42 people in the months she’s been at CSC. She had mentioned Dockside at Green Lake, acquired by LIHI to convert quickly into affordable permanent housing; camp operator LIHI‘s Josh Castle said it’ll have almost 100 studio apartments. Move-ins will start “in a matter of weeks.” LIHI has more than 3,100 units of permanent affordable housing in six counties, Castle added. The rapid-acquisition program has been a game-changer, he said. “We hope to be able to do a lot more of that.” One more note from Johnson: Another case manager has yet to be hired but they have a prospect. When that person’s on board, they’ll be able to share the caseload.

CAMP NEEDS: Hygiene items, towels, blankets, pillows, socks, jackets, shoes are among the perennial needs, said Johnson. “We’re getting some of those things but we can always use more.” They’ve had a fair amount of turnover since the 24 new houses were added over the summer, and winter is coming, so it’s time to prepare. The “donation room” will be empty shortly as they transition the space they use to store donated items. The topic of a gift registry came back up – “makes it easy for us to give,” said committee member John Walling of nearby Arrowhead Gardens – and will be looked into.

CONCERNS: One attendee brought up a perennial issue, safety along Myers Way, as there’s no sidewalk for people and streetside fencing pushes pedestrians dangerously close to traffic. Committee member Grace Stiller observed that not only is it a safety issue but potentially a liability issue for adjacent property owners (primarily the City of Seattle). Stiller also brought up “derelict vehicles” that are parked near the camp but not officially on its site. She’s concerned not only about how it looks but also about people working on those vehicles, leading to vehicle-fluid runoff, especially problematic with creek headlands there that eventually feed into the Duwamish River.

KUDOS: Amazon sent volunteers to a Weed Warriors – Stiller’s environmental-stewardship nonprofit – project that removed invasives. “They did a fabulous job,” said Stiller. On Saturday, October 15th, for Orca Day, they’ll have an activity, 10 am-2 pm, at the Myers Way wetlands. LIHI’s Castle said the nonprofit gets lots of offers for volunteer groups to help out and they were glad to have something like that to occupy one group. “We really appreciate you hosting these volunteers.”

NEXT MEETING: They’re hoping the Community Advisory Committee can go back to second Tuesdays next month – online until further notice – so that date would be October 11th.

To attend this meeting about West Seattle’s only sanctioned tiny-house encampment:

us02web.zoom.us/j/88261597495

(Passcode: 920359)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

After a short hiatus following the departure of its longtime chair, the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee regrouped Tuesday night online and heard a progress report on the camp’s expansion.

We first mentioned more than a year ago that West Seattle’s only sanctioned tiny-house encampment, at 9701 Myers Way South since 2016, was in line for an expansion. After the addition of tiny houses, it has 64, and all but four of them are occupied, said CSC operations manager Scott Harris. That means 75 people are living at CSC now – 62 men, 13 women. (Harris noted the population also includes 4 cats and 8 dogs.) Before the expansion, it was generally around 50 people.

Many of the new residents were referred at the same time. The camp has seen four abandonments from among those recent referrals – people shown to their units, who then left, saying they had to go get their stuff, but never returned. Harris says that’s rare, and if it happens, they hold the unit vacant for two days to give the person a chance to show up, but then it’s given to someone else. Case manager Marjorie Johnson said they try to reach out to those who “abandon,” in hopes of encouraging them to come back. (They even call hospitals and the Medical Examiner.) She said it can be overwhelming sometimes for a person who’s been in a community elsewhere to suddenly have to deal with more support, new neighbors, a new place to stay.

The new tiny houses aren’t the only additions and changes to the camp as part of its expansion. A new icemaker arrived earlier this week, in time for the current mini-heat wave. Water tanks were moved to the front of the camp and Seattle Public Utilities is installing fencing around them. They’re near the new hygiene trailer (funded by a budget amendment from West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold last year), which has an attendant on weekdays but is yet to be hooked up to sewer lines; it’s being pumped out every few days until that happens. An emergency-exit gate is being added near the kitchen tent. The new freezer has been malfunctioning but it’s under warranty so they’re working to get a repair specialist out to fix it.

New security cameras have been installed and four more remain. Josh Castle from LIHI, which operates the camp and other tiny-house villages around the region, said cameras are standard for sites like this. In addition to monitoring areas inside the camp, cameras also monitor the parking area outside the camp, which has seen a few vehicle thefts, Harris noted.

That’s not the only way in which that area is being monitored. It was noted that city Parking Enforcement Officers have been ticketing cars for parking there. Community Advisory Committee member Grace Stiller said one camp resident had to go to court to argue against the ticket. Camp managers said they had talked to the city about this problem before and thought they had it resolved until a PEO showed up again last week.

Case manager Johnson provided an update on her work. She has continued working on housing placements and says the camp is down to 7 longtime residents – “more than 2 years” – and she’s working closely with them. Her recent work includes seeking housing for people at apartment buildings recently opened by LIHI, including the Dockside in Green Lake – for which she’s put in 16 applications – and the Frye. Three people are waiting to move into the Harvard and she’s hoping that will happen by December 1st. She added that CSC is having monthly all-village meetings, and that a fulltime mental-health therapist is now on duty at the camp as of this week. Overall, she said, “Just as fast as they’re coming in, I’m moving them out,” and in a few cases where people don’t want to move, she’s working with them to find out why. Fauntleroy Church continues supporting campers with bus passes and hygiene items. They’re hiring to get help for Johnson, too, as CSC moves from “tiny house village to tiny house metropolis,” as Castle termed it.

Asked if they need support for the weather extremes, Harris said “we can always use bottled water and Gatorade.”

GROUP LOGISTICS: The CAC remains without a chair since founding chair Willow Fulton’s resignation earlier this summer. It has room for more members too. Seattle’s sanctioned tiny-house villages are all supposed to have CACs, as required by the city, so even though the leadership change led to a short hiatus, there was no question that it would resume. Their meetings are meant for getting camp updates to the wider community as well as providing a venue for asking questions and surfacing concerns. Now the task for the group is “to get it back to a robust level,” said Castle. Next meeting is TBD.

(WSB photo)

We’ve reported before on Fauntleroy Church‘s support of Camp Second Chance, the city-sanctioned tiny-home encampment in southeast West Seattle. The support led to a shopping trip at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village on Friday, which provided major discounts for church contributions to help buy shoes for camp residents. Fauntleroy Church volunteer Judy Pickens tells the story:

Picking out new shoes that fit just right is a rare luxury for people living on the edge of homelessness, but three tiny-home residents of Camp Second Chance got to do just that Friday at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village.

The shoppers are among the 40+ people living in the sanctioned camp at 9701 Myers Way S. Managed by the Low Income Housing Institute, the camp provides a supportive bridge between the streets and long-term housing.

In 2018, Fauntleroy Church, United Church of Christ (9140 California Ave. SW), began enriching camp life with such amenities as towels, bedding, and electric blankets. During the height of the pandemic, the church also provided games to encourage socializing and art supplies for creative expression.

On Friday, donations from church members financed the first of several shopping trips to fit residents with comfortable, practical, and NEW shoes. Members of the congregation’s homelessness task force met the residents at Big 5, where staff were eager to serve them. The church gave each shopper a dollar limit, which the store extended with a discount.

More camp residents will get their turn at shoe shopping as the camp’s case manager identifies those most in need.

In our photo above are church volunteers Joan and Cathy (at left and right) with case manager Marjorie (second from left) and CSC residents.

Here’s what we heard at this month’s meeting of the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee, held online last night:

ADDITIONS: Lots of renovation/addition work under way at the city-sanctioned encampment that’s been on the city-owned Myers Way Parcels for nearly six years. 15 of the 26 new tiny houses mentioned last month have arrived, reported camp manager Scott Harris; none are connected to electricity yet. The new kitchen and shower facilities are in place; the latter is being set up for ADA accessibility. The laundry room is finished and awaiting washers and dryers. New appliances also are on order for the kitchen – refrigerators and a freezer. Two shipping containers are expected as well, one for campers’ storage and another to be used to hold donated items. A new security structure was expected today, replacing the old one.

CURRENT CAMP POPULATION: 39 as of meeting time, with one intake in progress. The camp also is home to three cats and one dog. Two 911 calls were made in April, both for medical assistance. One person is moving into permanent housing this week. Case manager Marjorie Johnson is getting some help, though she wasn’t sure yet if that person will be working part time or full time.

RESTORATION WORK: CAC member Grace Stiller‘s organization Weed Warriors continues working with CSC on restoration of the natural area around the camp, with current projects including a walking trail as well as blackberry-root removal.

The Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meets second Tuesdays, 6 pm, online. Email c2ccacchair@gmail.com if you’d like to get notifications.

There’s long been talk of adding more tiny houses to Camp Second Chance in southeast West Seattle [map] – the sanctioned encampment on the city-owned Myers Way Parcels has room for them. At tonight’s monthly Community Advisory Committee meeting, details finally emerged. Camp Second Chance will be adding 26 new units in the next several weeks. Twenty of them will represent added capacity, at the north end of the camp, where a large canopy – recently lost to wind – once covered the tiny-house-building operation that has since become the Hope Factory in Georgetown/SODO. The other six will replace existing tiny homes that have fallen into disrepair. More big news at tonight’s meeting: The water and sewer service has been worked out. It will be hooked up to the new hygiene trailer once the kitchen is moved to a new concrete slab, where it will have a sink with hot water. The kitchen move will in turn facilitate a new laundry building, with three washers and three dryers. Another site improvement: Community Advisory Committee member Grace Stiller‘s group Weed Warriors has led a project to clear more area, creating a walking path near the camp. Finally, two stats from the past month: Nine people moved out, going into permanent housing, and the camp had three 911 calls, all for medical problems.

The Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meets second Tuesdays, 6 pm, online. Email c2ccacchair@gmail.com if you’d like to get notifications.

(Some color for a gray day – Alex Rhode’s sunset photo from Sunday at Cormorant Cove)

Busy day/night ahead:

CITY COUNCIL: Their weekly meeting is at 2 pm, online. The agenda explains how to comment; Seattle Channel is where to watch.

DEMONSTRATION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE: 4:30-6 pm at 16th/Holden, Scott leads the weekly demonstration for racial justice. Signs available if you don’t have your own.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: You’re invited to sail over to Vashon Island for Festa Della Donna, 5 pm – info in our calendar listing.

LIGHT RAIL: 5 pm online, the Community Advisory Group for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle extension meets again, for what’s billed as a “deep dive” into the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, now open for comments until April 28th. No public comment period at the meeting itself but it’s open to viewing here.

CAMP SECOND CHANCE: 6 pm online, get the latest on West Seattle’s only city-supported tiny-house encampment. Our calendar listing has details on how to watch/listen/participate.

FAMILY GAME NIGHT: Meeples Games (3727 California SW) welcomes families 6-8 pm to this weekly hosted game-playing night.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm in-person (Admiral Church, 4320 SW Hill) or online, you’re invited to get involved and talk about the neighborhood – attendance info is in our calendar listing.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm online, community welcome – register here to watch/listen.

TRIVIA X 2: Two venues to play tonight – 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 7:30 and 8:30 pm at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).

BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!

There’s more on our calendar – and if you have something to add for the future, email us the info at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

ORIGINAL TUESDAY NIGHT REPORT: After five years as a city-supported tiny-house encampment, Camp Second Chance in southeast West Seattle is still trying to get water and sewer connections.

That was the hottest topic at tonight’s monthly online meeting of the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee. The longrunning utility-line effort reportedly had cold water thrown on it by Seattle Public Utilities. Camp manager Scott Harris said SPU reps did a survey that showed the nearest hookups are on the Seattle Fire Department Joint Training Facility site to the north, and said that running the lines to CSC would be too costly. Harris said that didn’t seem like the final word on the matter, though. Committee members are going to contact West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold to see if she can help them get the utilities at the camp, since she had pursued funding in the city budget last year. In the meantime, water will continue to be delivered to the camp.

Harris said January was busy at CSC, with 14 people moving out into housing. The camp’s currently down to 38 people (about two-thirds of its capacity). They’re doing maintenance right now on some of the tiny houses.

The camp had one person who tested positive for COVID in the past month; that person was one of the 14 who have since left CSC for housing.

Camp operator LIHI is looking to hire a fulltime organizer, and has similar job openings at other tiny-house encampments. Anyone interested can check out the listing here.

The Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meets online at 6 pm on second Tuesdays; next meeting will be March 8th.

ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: A clarification from SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register:

The property falls within Water District 20 (for water) and Valley View Sewer District (for sewer), so Seattle Public Utilities does not have the legal right to serve that property. We’ve talked with the General Manager of Water District 20 who indicates they want to serve the parcel with water and are working with Camp Second Chance on what it would take to make the connection to their system.

One of the hygiene (shower) trailers that SPU manages for people experiencing homelessness will soon be deployed to Camp Second Chance, through 2022 funding approved by the City Council.

Aside from which utility serves it, the encampment is on city-owned land (known as the Myers Way Parcels).

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Windstorm damage was the biggest news in the Camp Second Chance update presented at this month’s meeting of the tiny-house encampment’s Community Advisory Committee, held online Tuesday night.

CAMP REPORT: Camp director Scott Harris reported that 53 people are now at CSC. Three people have exited to housing, two people are awaiting approvals, four people have King County Housing Authority vouchers and are seeking rentals, eight people have Seattle Housing Authority vouchers and are also awaiting/looking for units. Harris noted that county vouchers mean a 1-bedroom is affordable, while city vouchers only cover a studio. They have room for one new camper.

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In our most-recent report on the advisory committee for West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment, Camp Second Chance, we noted an unusual donation request: Christmas decorations. Those are among the items that are being collected in a holiday-season drive at Canna West Seattle (5440 California SW; WSB sponsor) and its Culture Shop across the street. From the announcement:

What types of items is C2C in need of? First and foremost, C2C residents have organized their own community supported, fun holiday event; a spirited contest for the best holiday door decorations for each of their tiny homes. Their contest for the “Best Holiday Door” will be held at the Tiny Home Village on December 20th, and prizes awarded to the winners.

Christmas decorations, so long as they are not perishable, can be dropped off at Canna West Seattle on California Avenue or at its sister store, The Culture Shop, which is located directly across the street. In addition to Christmas decorations, C2C is seeking the following items (camp operator LIHI’s donation guidelines included):

–Clothing Items, Towels, and Bedding: should be new or gently worn, nothing with stains or rips, and should be recently cleaned before donation. NO used underwear.

–Furniture: needs to be approved before donation, due to the size limitations within our Tiny Houses and apartment buildings, we will just need to confirm the dimensions of your items will actually fit within our spaces.

–Cleaning Supplies, and Hygiene Products: should be UNOPENED, and travel sized or relatively small, with a preference for gender neutral items so all folks feel comfortable.

–Books, Art Supplies, Household Items, Miscellaneous items: should be in good condition, gently used or new, and clearly labeled with its intended purpose (i.e. art supplies should be packaged or labeled as ‘art supplies’).

Also from the announcement, Canna owner and founder Maryam Mirnateghi explains, “There are so many different homeless programs that need community support and Camp 2nd Chance is one of those that not only needs West Seattle’s help, but also one that is making a real impact on the lives of the people it works with.” As we have reported in monthly status update, the camp at 9701 Myers Way S. is usually home to between 50 and 60 people and is supported by city funding, which is expected to cover an addition of 20 more tiny houses next year.

P.S. We’re adding this to the ongoing list of local giving opportunities in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, where updates continue through New Year’s.

(WSB photo: Camp Second Chance’s front gate, July)

The Community Advisory Committee for West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment, Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.), has changed the day/time of its monthly meetings, after 4 1/2 years. The group now meets on second Tuesdays at 6 pm. Here’s what happened at last night’s meeting:

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(WSB photo: Camp Second Chance’s front gate, July)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For the first time in the pandemic, Camp Second Chance – West Seattle’s only city-authorized tiny-house encampment – has reported COVID cases.

That was one of the updates the CSC Community Advisory Committee heard during its monthly meeting, held online this afternoon.

None of the three were seriously ill, said camp manager Scott Harris; two are a couple. and all three were quarantined at county facilities set aside for that purpose.

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-Changed date for September-

The Community Advisory Committee for Camp Second Chance will meet first Sundays *online – connection info added when available* – the meetings are open to the public.

The purpose of this committee is to ensure good communication between the camp and the surrounding neighborhoods, so we can all work together for a safe and equitable neighborhood. Our goals at Camp Second Chance are: to be a safe and ethical community for people suffering from homelessness, to be good neighbors to both housed and unhoused people in our neighborhood, and to move participants up and out of homelessness as quickly as possible.

Join Meeting instantly:
us02web.zoom.us/j/85855234269?pwd=aG1yeDkzTWtmS0MyVENLUzRsYXNBQT09

If needed:
Meeting ID: 858 5523 4269
Password: 9701

Sane codes apply if you dial in – 253-215-8782

(WSB photo: Camp Second Chance’s front gate, July)

First Sunday afternoon of the month usually brings the monthly online meeting of the Community Advisory Committee for West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment, Camp Second Chance, on the city-owned Myers Way Parcels [map]. Here’s what happened today:

CAMP UPDATE: CSC director Scott Harris wasn’t in attendance, so updated camp stats weren’t available, but Hattie Rhodes from camp operator LIHI was there with other updates. She said a city inspection is happening Tuesday afternoon to ensure that all’s well. She also said LIHI had a recent hiring fair and hopes to fill positions at encampments including CSC, which will be getting a “village organizer …. to help out at the camp.” They’re also still looking for a case manager, while serving campers with visiting CMs. Also – LIHI is opening new camps in other parts of the city and looking for more sites because “the need is still there.” She didn’t have exact numbers but said it was “exciting” to see some CSC residents move to housing at The Clay – a microapartment building owned by LIHI – to ‘take the next step in their journeys.” CAC chair Willow Fulton asked about the intake process for CSC. That’s primarily through the city’s HOPE Team, Rhodes said, but LIHI also has a waitlist in case an opening comes up at one of its camps and the HOPE Team can’t quickly fill it. What about referring someone currently living unsheltered? Refer them to the outreach workers at REACH, Rhodes suggested – she didn’t have a contact number but noted REACH has offices at 3rd/Blanchard. Rhodes was asked about CSC expansion, which Harris mentioned at the last meeting. She said “that’s not the hugest priority for us right now” though they might “see if there’s room here or there to add a few more (tiny) houses” at CSC.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS’ UPDATES: These updates often range beyond camp-related matters, and this time was no different. Aaron Garcia of the White Center Community Development Association wanted everyone to know that the county eviction-prevention/rent-assistance program is still open and WCCDA is assisting White Center families with getting into the process. He also said there’ll be a vaccination clinic at Steve Cox Memorial Park on August 18th; it’s meant to be second dose for those vaccinated at the recent clinic, but first doses will be available too, noon-6 pm … Cinda Stenger from the Westside Interfaith Network said the group is continuing to assist more than a dozen Central American refugee families who have settled in the area so if CSC hss extra clothing, they would appreciate being able to re-donate to the refugees (they’re also looking for kids’ clothing and other housewares) … Grace Stiller of Weed Warriors recapped the recent wrap party for the latest phase of her organization’s Myers Way Parcels wetland-restoration program (WSB coverage here); she’s looking ahead to Phase 3 of the restoration project, working closer to Hamm Creek, dependent on funding. … Chair Fulton, who’s been keeping watch on illegal dumping along Myers Way, says the most-recent ones have been cleaned up. Concerns remain about the safety of people walking along Myers Way, especially considering pedestrians are pushed farther into the road by the fencing set up to prevent access to the roadside greenbelt. Once again this month, though, no city rep was present to hear those concerns.

NEXT MEETING: September’s date is to be determined, since the first Sunday will be during Labor Day weekend.

What you don’t see in this photo along the east edge of the city-owned Myers Way Parcels in southeast West Seattle is part of what this story’s about. It’s a restored wetland area, tens of thousands of square feet previously choked by blackberries and other weeds, in the watershed of salmon-bearing Hamm Creek.

Those piles are just part of what was removed in a yearlong project led by the nature-steward organization Weed Warriors, including help from residents of Camp Second Chance, which is also on the Myers Way Parcels, where more than 50 tiny houses shelter people experiencing homelessness. On Saturday, several of the camp residents who participated in the restoration project joined Weed Warriors leader Grace Stiller in a celebration at the site, just outside the encampment’s north fence.

Stiller marshaled assistance from organizations including the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, National Wildlife Federation, and Puget SoundKeeper to underwrite the restoration project, which also included instruction for the participants. Along with working on the land, they took online classes on topics including plant identification. Saturday’s celebration was a “graduation” too – with certificates, and a chance to sign a new plaque marking the restored area, where project participants planted 175 new trees along with native shrubs.

Weed Warriors teaches a “Code of Environmental Chivalry,” and during Saturday’s event, Stiller ceremonially pronounced program participants to be “Knights of the Living Forest.”

Attendees read aloud from the code – one tenet is “Show courtesy and consideration for the native habitat and wildlife that surrounds us.” Along with certificates and cake, the Saturday celebration also included the presentation of stipend checks – the grants covered $15/hour for work on the site. Stiller hopes to launch the next phase of restoration in the fall, provided the permit process with the city goes as planned. (She also is a member of the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee; we cover its monthly meetings, and that’s where we heard about this.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

A potential expansion and a personnel shortage were part of what the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee heard about this afternoon.

Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.) is the only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment in West Seattle, close to the southeast city-limit line. The all-volunteer Community Advisory Committee meets monthly – currently, online – to hear updates and ask questions about camp operations. Meetings have usually been on first Sundays, but this month’s meeting was pushed back a week because of the holiday.

CAMP REPORT: Director Scott Harris (who is a LIHI employee) said CSC currently has 51 residents – 15 women, 36 men – and LIHI is looking to expand, adding up to 20 people (other tiny-house encampments, he said, are being eyed for expansion as well). The camp has space, he said, though this would mean adding tiny houses.

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