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Thelema Johnson, right, will marry her fiancé Charlie Smith in a ceremony at Nickelsville on Sunday. The day also marks the one-year anniversary of the homeless encampment's move to that location. (Photo: Brandi Kruse/KIRO Radio)

'Nickelsville' celebrates milestone with double-wedding

BY Brandi Kruse  on May 11, 2012 @ 3:33 pm (Updated: 8:15 am - 5/13/12 )

The homeless encampment known as Nickelsville will celebrate a milestone Sunday: One year without being forced to move.

The tent city, not-so-affectionately named after former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, moved to its current location at Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW in West Seattle on May 13, 2011, after leaving the previous location in Lake City.

The anniversary marks the longest period the encampment has gone without being forced to relocate since its creation in 2008, and the day will be celebrated with a double wedding.

"My mother said that if we get any cold feet to let her know and she'll mail us some socks," said Thelema Johnson, who goes by the name T.J. She and her fiance, Charlie Smith, met at Nickelsville eight months ago and plan to marry there on Sunday.

"He was very quiet, didn't speak any words or anything, but he had very cute, curly hair," T.J. said of the first time she met Smith. "Then it got very, very cold out and we were talking about just cuddling for winter nights."

The two now live together inside an 8X12 foot makeshift home on the grounds, but most people at Nickelsville live in tents. Residents, who are often called "Nickelodeons," hope that the camp can stay in its current location and continue to evolve.

"The struggle isn't over, by any means," a Nickelsville spokesperson said in a statement. "The City of Seattle still will not recognize our existence, and we therefore lack either police protection or on site utilities. We never know what the next day holds."

On Friday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced a six-year plan to address the city's homeless population. The Communities Supporting Safe and Stable Housing Investment Plan maintains funding for the homeless, but shifts the focus from shelter and services to prevention.

"The City of Seattle provides more than $35 million a year for services for homeless people," McGinn said. "This draft plan provides a framework for how we invest taxpayer dollars and provide homeless services in order to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place."

McGinn said the plan provides a framework for investments in prevention, intervention, stabilization and support of the homeless population in Seattle through 2018.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (5)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    Tents will be . . . .
    May 12, 2012 3:54 am
    rocking tonight!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    When the cardboard box is rockin'
    May 12, 2012 5:55 pm
    Don't come knockin'
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JMGilday wrote...
    just because a couple of leeches
    May 13, 2012 5:02 pm
    have figured out one more way to scam taxpayers into providing what the rest of us WORK to get is no reason to write about it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Tj Jonson wrote...
    Leeches
    May 19, 2012 7:08 pm
    Im a lady who has traveled many places and done many things. Im done raising my children, ive graduated from colledge and useing my skills daily. Im fully self employed and have been for years, and my new husband is a seosonal fisherman.we both volenteer about 25 hours per day helping a community become a small eco friendly village building homes and lives as we go. We've seen many people go on to better places after getting here. and many people gratefull that there was somewhere safe to land after being turned away from the shelter systems from not enoough bedds. there is a full time nurse with children to take care of and because one of thier family got sick its been monthes since theyve had thier own home. unable to afford deposits we stuggle on safer in our community. come and take a tour anytime at Nickelsville
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    05-14-2012 'Nickelsville' celebrates milestone...
    May 14, 2012 9:46 am
    Until the first general economic collapse the rise in numbers of homeless directly followed the increase in PUBLIC funds dedicated to supporting this subset of the population. The collapse has increased the numbers of homeless, but the underlying pathologies, mental illness, addictions, laziness and antisocial behaviors have not changed. The misprescription of services to help alleviate the problem has not changed either. A new direction is required. It is not a source of community pride to subsidize in miserable conditions any subset of its population.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }