Encampment with history of violence, fires removed from beneath Ship Canal Bridge
SEATTLE — Work crews began efforts Monday to remove the homeless encampment that occupied both sides of I-5 underneath the Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle.
The removal comes after months of demands from neighbors in Wallingford and parents at the John Stanford International School who said the encampment was an immediate threat to the safety of the elementary school students.
“A lot of the people who were in here were actively committing crimes, and those people need to go to jail," parent Eli Hoshor said on Monday. "So really it’s separating the crime from the real issues that are homelessness. I'm just really happy to see that this is getting taken care of and I think it's time to re-assess how we deal with homelessness in the city of Seattle."
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced two weeks ago that the Ship Canal encampment would be removed by the end of the month and that all 14 people living there would be given offers of housing.
According to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, the 14 people were placed into housing that met their needs, including emergency housing by CoLEAD, hotel/motel shelter, and tiny homes.
On Friday, 72-hour notices were posted at the encampment advising the site would be closed down.
It was welcome news to neighbors including Stephanie Veka who said the neighborhood lived in fear of the encampment after incidents of gun violence, theft, fires and drug use.
“We are, every single day, living with this," Veka said. "There is no personal property — cars or yards — that is safe from being absolutely pillaged every night."
People who were living in the encampment came to gather items on Monday, including bicycles, an e-bike, drums, generators, and an ATV.
WSDOT officials have said that once the encampment is cleared, the site will be secured and no further encampments will be permitted there.
Governor Jay Inslee's office indicated he was aware of the encampments removal and "reiterates his appreciation for the agencies and teams who worked to stabilize the site and then connect the people there to supportive housing options, an approach most likely to lead to long-term success in our efforts to transition people out of homelessness."
