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 Linda Thomas
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BremertonHomeless.jpg
The Kitsap County Sheriff's office has told the dozen or so people who live in a homeless camp in Bremerton they need to leave by the end of the day. The private property will be cleared and sold. Risa Fafara (left) and Chanda "Sinammon" Gritters say they won't fight the eviction. (Photo by Ted Mase/Real Change)

Kitsap County Sheriff evicts homeless in a Bremerton camp

January 30, 2013 @ 4:55 pm (Updated: 9:38 am - 1/31/13 )

Twelve acres of forest in Bremerton have trees so thick the greenery creates a canopy protecting anyone below from rain.

Homeless people have lived under those trees for five years. On Thursday, the Kitsap County Sheriff moves in to clear their camp.

The camp, in East Bremerton, is south of a grocery store with other businesses nearby. It's tucked in a wooded area that most of us would drive by without a thought. Real Change journalist Rosette Royale took a closer look.

"Once you walk in through a path, suddenly you're inside the trees and the whole atmosphere changes," he tells me. "There are cedar trees, there are maples, there are alders, and ferns growing."

Deeper inside the forest he sees a tent, a sagging tarp, soggy clothes hanging on a line, a bicycle without a front wheel, rusted camp stoves, and garbage.

"Even though you're in this natural environment, it's clear there are people who have been here," says Royale.

Unlike Nickelsville in Seattle, this camp is not an organized society with rules.

"It's really self-determined," he says. "They make up the rules as they go along."

The owner of the private property has allowed homeless people to stay there, until now. He made the decision after an increase in complaints from neighboring retailers who cited "aggressive interactions" with campers.

Last year, nearly 300 calls went out from the vicinity for law enforcement or medical emergency services, resulting in 23 police incident reports linked to the encampment.

The property owner hopes to sell the land for $2 million.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's office has told the dozen or so people who live there they need to clear out by the end of Thursday. For the campers, that means losing their home and the only family they feel they have. They plan to leave without a fight.

As Royale talked with the homeless people, he noticed the way they describe what they liked about the Bremerton camp is the same thing most of us enjoy about the Northwest - the beauty and a connection to nature.

"It's very easy to believe they are not like us, but actually they're exactly like us," he says. "We're the same people. Some of us go home and we have a key that opens a lock that lets us in a house or an apartment, and some people have to go and unzip a tent and crawl inside it."

The campers need to clear out by the end of Thursday. The property will be cleaned up Friday and no trespassing signs will be posted.

Agencies that help the homeless in Kitsap County say there are options for the campers, but most plan to scatter to other camps or move out of state.

Amid the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of getting people off the streets and into shelters or housing, King County begins year eight of its 10 year plan to end homelessness - A Roof Over Every Bed.

The plans goals seem unlikely. One week ago, a count of people living on Seattle's streets found a five percent increase over the previous year.

"I don't think it was unrealistic as much as it was hopeful. People wanted and still want to address the issue. The name speaks to desire," says Royale. "How many of us say we want to achieve a goal but don't quite make the mark?"

Solving homelessness requires more than just housing. He says people need living-wage jobs, access to affordable health care and reliable transportation along with a roof.

"To me the single most thing that can help someone who is homeless, is a connection with another person," says Royale. "When you make this an us versus them it's very easy to let that person just fall, fall, tumble, tumble, tumble into a really dark hole that a person can't get out of."

By LINDA THOMAS

Real Change publishes the only "street newspaper" in Washington State and the only news organization that consistently focuses on poverty, homelessness, and social justice. In 2011 Real Change had a paid circulation of over 863,000 copies. Vendors pay Real Change 35 cents for each Real Change Newspaper and resell the paper on the street for the dollar cover price plus tips. When you add it all up, vendors collectively earned over $1 million last year.

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Comments (68)


  • Add A Comment

  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    As soon as they discover
    January 31, 2013 4:27 am
    how to "access affordable health care" let us know. I have a feeling that the misuse of the term "access", really means stealing it from someone else. The Affordable Care Act has made access to affordable health care even more difficult. It is now only possible to achieve through extortion or a ticket to Mumbai.
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  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    those "campers" are not their because they need living wage jobs
    January 31, 2013 5:38 am
    evict them....force them out of the area....what a burden. What a waste of our tax dollars going to people who will not or can not do for themselves....they have no problem finding, drugs, alcohol and or cigarettes...are those not all luxury's of indulgence? Must be hard living in the woods for free....(trespassing)Good grief times are tough....but really it is not that difficult to care for yourself....of course, they don't teach that in public school....they teach you how to sign up for free lunch.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    I wish I could see the looks on you Parrots faces when you finally realize that
    January 31, 2013 5:39 am
    Free government run ObamaCare is exactly that! Government, ObamaGovernment, run. And defiantly not free.

    How long before your Dear Leader starts to tax you Parrots when you were told your taxes will not go up "One dime"!

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  • jhosford4 wrote...
    already did
    January 31, 2013 6:05 am
    between the Social Security tax cut expiring and my health insurance going up again, i'm down $150-$200/month from last year
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • doublej wrote...
    They aren't as they seem
    January 31, 2013 6:33 am
    I delt with these people on a daily basis when I worked loss prevention at the Fred Meyer right up the road. To say they aren't an organized society is a joke. They are very organized. They have a President, a Vice President, and a financial officer. Everything that comes in to the community is evenly split, including their EBT funds. They steal from the local businesses daily. They are a scourge on the local community and evicting them and breaking up this small, very organized crime family is the best thing to happen to that community in years. And to top it off, take a look at your postage stamp yard or balcony of your appt. and think about the fact that they have been living on an acre of land each, rent free for years.
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  • Hectic wrote...
    interesting
    January 31, 2013 7:00 am
    thanks for that info, it does paint a much better picture
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  • mnpat wrote...
    I received this from a young woman.....what a great idea....I remember rules like these because I held my children responsible if they wanted something special for themselves.
    January 31, 2013 6:57 am
    Wow, this girl has a great plan! This was written by a 21 yr old female who gets it. It's her future she's worried about and this is how she feels about the social welfare big government state that she's being forced to live in! These solutions are just common sense in her opinion. This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco , TX , Nov 18, 2011 PUT ME IN CHARGE . . . Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job. Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, or smoke, then get a job. Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place. In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good.." Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem. If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices. AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.
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  • MagneticPatriot wrote...
    WOW - Best Idea EVER!
    January 31, 2013 8:37 am
    Seriously… this is the BEST idea ever! We are all thinking this and we need to make it happen! Elect this gal and put her in charge!
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  • PNWflowergirl wrote...
    mnpat
    January 31, 2013 9:27 am
    BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing that!
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  • Hectic wrote...
    Hungry?
    January 31, 2013 7:03 am
    I always assume homeless people went hungry? Doesn't appear these two have missed many meals. And what's with the quote, "For the campers, that means losing their home". This is not THEIR home, it's not their property.
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  • Mavila wrote...
    "I don't think it was unrealistic as much as it was hopeful."
    January 31, 2013 7:13 am
    In other words, results don't matter. Only our good intentions and misguided efforts matter.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MagneticPatriot wrote...
    The article had roughly 723 words, however the picture had a million
    January 31, 2013 8:34 am
    The article had roughly 723 words, however the picture had a million. Before I get to many ticked off, let me say that there are many homeless people out there working hard for an honest day’s work and some even have families. They are trying everything they can to make it better.

    So with that said - Since people will think it, I’ll just say it. The picture shows a woman smoking. Not only that but sitting on her a__. With the cost of cigarettes being so high and let’s be honest neither look exactly hungry.

    I see that they are more voluntarily homeless and have simply given up. By the lighting underneath the canopy, I would say it was mid-day. Maybe just maybe one would think that they should maybe look for some type of work. If the area lacks any type of work maybe they should move on to another location that some might be able to find work.

    300 calls for police and emergency services is excessively high considering the HOA I am part of has over 340 houses (you can safely triple the number to get number of people) and there has only been 3 calls total in the last 5+years.

    I’m glad they have a connection with nature, now they should try getting a connection with life and society to try and become part of the solution instead of the problem.

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Magnetic: The picture shows way too much "stuff"
    January 31, 2013 8:59 am
    There are piles and piles of "stuff" in that camp.

    Nobody who owns "stuff" can ever be totally free. For any of us, the more stuff we own the more that the concept of "freedom" becomes an abstract concept rather than a daily reality.

    Even though most of it is trash, these folks have accumulated a lot of stuff.

    There's a difference between actually being without a home, and simply choosing to make a home in the woods.

    But you are too judgmental about the situation of these women, jumping to far too many conclusions.. A lot of the unhoused do work, when it's available. Many of the crappiest jobs are on-call, with irregular part time hours, no benefits, and pay so little that an entire month's wages won't rent even a $150 per week closet in one of those old motels along Aurora.

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  • MagneticPatriot wrote...
    Not judgmental, just tired...
    January 31, 2013 10:00 am
    I agree with what you’re saying but these women are not "old", maybe 30 tops. Being down means you should try harder and make sacrifices. They should HATE where they are I life and want change. They just seem like they have simply given up. Now according to the article, they have been a burden not only on services but other people in the area! Honestly, do you think if they were not asked to move, they would move?

    I don't. You said it yourself, they have too much stuff. I'm retired and a disabled veteran BUT guess what? I still work full-time! Not because I have to, its because I can and want to!

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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    You people see the size of those disgustingly fat cows?
    January 31, 2013 8:44 am
    Homeless used to mean no money. Rummaging through the trash for thrown out food. Times are changing. Thanks to Liberals and our stolen tax dollars.

    Wonder how the cell phone reception is?

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  • MagneticPatriot wrote...
    America the opposite...
    January 31, 2013 8:52 am
    America is the opposite of most poor countries were the poor and hungry are thin, undernourished, and the only reason their bellies are big - the disease these children are suffering from is called Kwashiorkor, a form of malnutrition due to an extreme lack of protein. The large belly is an inflammation - an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin and their stomachs. The problem with these women is their just obese.
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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    And I quote:
    January 31, 2013 9:03 am
    "The owner of the private property has allowed homeless people to stay there, until now. He made the decision after an increase in complaints from neighboring retailers who cited "aggressive interactions" with campers.

    Last year, nearly 300 calls went out from the vicinity for law enforcement or medical emergency services, resulting in 23 police incident reports linked to the encampment. "

    Add to that, the fact that they have trashed the encampment and one has to ponder deeply as to the reason for THIS group being homeless...

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