‘Jungle’ residents list demands in front of Seattle council

Residents of The Jungle sent a message to the Seattle City Council Monday along with a list of demands.

A crowd of Jungle residents attended the city council’s Monday meeting to tell members that they have been communicating with other homeless campers in the Seattle greenbelt along I-5 — and they are organizing. They want the city to include them in any future decisions on the fate of The Jungle, and do not want the area’s encampments cleared out.

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That’s not all they want.

“I am a representative of The Jungle; I used to live there,” said Andrew Collins in front of the crowd before reading a list of demands.

“We the housed and un-housed people of Seattle demand the city, one, stop all the sweeps of the homeless on the streets of Seattle and encampments city-wide, especially The Jungle, and return all seized property to its owners or compensate them for that loss,” he said. “Two, enact a housing-first program for all houseless in the city. Three, stop paying taxpayer money on privatizing homeless issues, such as for-profit sweeps and contractors.”

The last two demands regard allowing the city’s homeless residents to use vacant buildings.

“Four,” Collins continued. “Provide 24-hour living areas, and the right to rest in unused buildings public or private in the Seattle area. Five, spend the $1 million for The Jungle fence to revitalize any neglected public or private property — such as unused fire stations, vacant buildings or The Seattle Times building — for those without housing.”

Council member Sally Bagshaw requested the crowd to leave their contact information so she can follow up.

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