City Hall
Few Details in Mayor's Plan for "Semi-Permanent" Homeless Encampment
At a press briefing this afternoon, Deputy mayor Darryl Smith offered few details this afternoon about plans to site a semi-permanent homeless encampment to replace Nickelsville at the former Sunny Jim's peanut butter factory in SoDo. Among other details, Smith could not say how much the encampment would cost, whether it would include permanent wooden shacks ("that's the first I've heard of that," he said, despite the fact that a panel that advised the mayor on encampment sites specifically recommended more permanent structures), what kind of services would be provided on-site (the city generally requires that shelters it funds include services such as job assistance) and whether the mayor had obtained sign-off from the council.
Smith also seemed unaware of safety concerns that have been expressed by residents of the Beacon Hill and Georgetown neighborhoods about the site's proximity to "The Jungle," an overgrown, often violent patch of park land where people are known to prey on the homeless. Asked whether the mayor's office had considered safety concerns around the Jungle, Smith seemed not to understand the question. "I don't think we're going to have a situation where this turns into what people remember as the Jungle. The Jungle is unsanctioned," Smith said. "What we want to do is provide a safe place for people that are experiencing homelessness."
In addition to concerns about the safety of encampment residents, nearby community members have pointed out in emails to the city council that the Sunny Jim's site is not exactly pedestrian-friendly, with at least three pedestrian fatalities nearby in the past two years. And Georgetown residents say they already more than their share of city services. In recent years, the city has proposed building a strip-club district, a new trash transfer facility, and an expansion of Boeing Field in the neighborhood. Why, Georgetown residents have asked, shouldn't some North End neighborhoods be asked to share the burden?
Smith's response: The encampment would be in SoDo, not Georgetown. End of story. "This site is not, as has been incorrectly reported, in Georgetown," Smith said. "I am reaching out to the SoDo community." (Footnote: Smith's breezy dismissal of Georgetown residents' concerns is somewhat ironic coming from the guy who was largely responsible for ensuring that CASA Latina, a social service organization for non-English speakers, didn't end up in his neighborhood.)
Although Smith said he has had conversations with many city council members about the proposal, the council members I spoke to today said the mayor's office hasn't given them enough details about the project for them to form opinions.
"I have real concerns about both the siting and the concept, but we haven't received any legislation or a request for funds or a description of exactly what the encampment would be," council president Richard Conlin said---a comment that was echoed by council member Tim Burgess, who said, "I'm open to addressing our need for more shelter but I'd need to see more details of the plan before saying I would support it."
Some council members noted that the city's ten-year plan to end homelessness, whose mid-point is next year, calls for getting people into permanent housing, not creating encampments where people sleep outside. "I don't think we should accept the idea that people are doomed to be homeless and living in tents," Conlin said. "If [the agency that gets the contract to run the encampment] is going to try to provide some services to get people out of homelessness, which is what we're aiming for, that will be helpful, but our goal should be solving the problem of homelessness."
Council member Sally Bagshaw was the only council member I talked to who said unequivocally that she was "on board" with McGinn's still-nascent plan. "I would love to see everyone living inside rather than in the mud and the rain, but I'd rather see temporary encampments [for] people who have no place else to go" than have them sleep alone outside, Bagshaw said. "It's not where I want people to be, but they're way better off in their community than sleeping alone under bridges or in the bushes."
Smith also seemed unaware of safety concerns that have been expressed by residents of the Beacon Hill and Georgetown neighborhoods about the site's proximity to "The Jungle," an overgrown, often violent patch of park land where people are known to prey on the homeless. Asked whether the mayor's office had considered safety concerns around the Jungle, Smith seemed not to understand the question. "I don't think we're going to have a situation where this turns into what people remember as the Jungle. The Jungle is unsanctioned," Smith said. "What we want to do is provide a safe place for people that are experiencing homelessness."
In addition to concerns about the safety of encampment residents, nearby community members have pointed out in emails to the city council that the Sunny Jim's site is not exactly pedestrian-friendly, with at least three pedestrian fatalities nearby in the past two years. And Georgetown residents say they already more than their share of city services. In recent years, the city has proposed building a strip-club district, a new trash transfer facility, and an expansion of Boeing Field in the neighborhood. Why, Georgetown residents have asked, shouldn't some North End neighborhoods be asked to share the burden?
Smith's response: The encampment would be in SoDo, not Georgetown. End of story. "This site is not, as has been incorrectly reported, in Georgetown," Smith said. "I am reaching out to the SoDo community." (Footnote: Smith's breezy dismissal of Georgetown residents' concerns is somewhat ironic coming from the guy who was largely responsible for ensuring that CASA Latina, a social service organization for non-English speakers, didn't end up in his neighborhood.)
Although Smith said he has had conversations with many city council members about the proposal, the council members I spoke to today said the mayor's office hasn't given them enough details about the project for them to form opinions.
"I have real concerns about both the siting and the concept, but we haven't received any legislation or a request for funds or a description of exactly what the encampment would be," council president Richard Conlin said---a comment that was echoed by council member Tim Burgess, who said, "I'm open to addressing our need for more shelter but I'd need to see more details of the plan before saying I would support it."
Some council members noted that the city's ten-year plan to end homelessness, whose mid-point is next year, calls for getting people into permanent housing, not creating encampments where people sleep outside. "I don't think we should accept the idea that people are doomed to be homeless and living in tents," Conlin said. "If [the agency that gets the contract to run the encampment] is going to try to provide some services to get people out of homelessness, which is what we're aiming for, that will be helpful, but our goal should be solving the problem of homelessness."
Council member Sally Bagshaw was the only council member I talked to who said unequivocally that she was "on board" with McGinn's still-nascent plan. "I would love to see everyone living inside rather than in the mud and the rain, but I'd rather see temporary encampments [for] people who have no place else to go" than have them sleep alone outside, Bagshaw said. "It's not where I want people to be, but they're way better off in their community than sleeping alone under bridges or in the bushes."
Filed under
Share
Show Comments
