City’s stance on squatters in Seattle is hypocritical

The old Seattle Times building is an iconic structure from the city’s past that is now left vacant &#8212 except for squatters.

“According to KIRO TV, the City of Seattle is threatening to sue the owner of that building because they have squatters on their property,” KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson said.

Dori argues that the city’s practice is hypocritical given how it treats those experiencing homelessness on its own public property.

The Seattle Times reports that after police swept through the building on Sept. 30, clearing it of squatters, many of the vacant building’s residents returned; one even made sure an entrance was available for those with disabilities.

Currently, the building is home to about 60 people, the Times reports. The building, constructed in 1930, is no longer owned by The Seattle Times, rather, a Canadian company, Onni Group of Vancouver.

Seattle Department of Planning and Development spokesman Bryan Stevens told the Times that while there are plenty of vacant buildings around town, the old Times site is “unique.” It’s why the city is pressing the Canadian owners to not only board up the windows, but to hire security guards to keep people out.

Stevens also noted that the city issued an emergency order in August to the private property owner over the squatters, and has been fining the company $1,000 a day since then. The city is also billing the company for costs related to cleaning up the area around the building.

“[It’s] utter hypocrisy the City of Seattle threatening to sue the owner of the building because there are squatters in the building,” Dori said. “When I drive around this city, there are homeless encampments on city property everywhere….they’re under every overpass. If you go down to the Seahawks game this weekend, CenturyLink Field, you are going to see blue tarps, litter, and trash and homeless people with shopping carts and tents.”

KIRO 7 reports that the city attorney’s office will likely file a lawsuit against the building’s owners.

“How about the City of Seattle walks the walk. Before you sue this private property owner because there are squatters in their building, how about you get rid of the squatters everywhere on city property,” Dori said.

“Until the City of Seattle cleans up its own property, I don’t know how they can possibly go after a private property owner because of squatters,” he said.