Homeless encampment returns to Seattle’s Highland Park neighborhood

The problem cropped up a couple of years ago in this working-class neighborhood. Seattle’s Highland Park neighborhood was known for its tree-lined streets and close proximity to downtown. A homeless encampment developed and kept getting worse until someone died under suspicious circumstances.

It was only then that law enforcement did something about it, removing homeless people and vehicles until they were gone. The neighbors didn’t know where the homeless went, but were happy the problem had been solved, until now.

The encampment along Myers Way S is slowly growing once more, and residents fear in order to solve the problem again, they will have to go back to square one.

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“Last year, we had many meetings with different jurisdictions, some very serious commitments were made to us combined about how they would not let this happen again,” Diane Radischat, a resident of Seattle Arrowhead Gardens, told The Gee and Ursula Show. “They cleared the property and fenced off the property, and that has stayed clean, except for a couple of minor infractions.”

Radischat explained that they had been doing relatively well until about three months ago when homeless people started to slowly return.

“This one just kept growing and growing and growing. And again, what we have here when this happens is these are the people who live in their vehicles that are not the least bit interested in any services from any agency,” she said. “So they live off the grid and their behavior is reflective about what happens to us.”

The generators have returned and so has the drug acivity. Property damage is up and a car was stolen.

There was a temporary reprieve last week, but it was short-lived.

“What happened here now is they cleared the property, probably Wednesday and Thursday of last week, moving all of the vehicles,” Radichat explained. “They simply went from the front side of the property to the back side of the property.”

She said that there are now permanent ‘No Parking’ signs on both sides of Myers Way, but that took nine years. Despite the signs, three vehicles are back.

“So, in the city’s eyes, that’s a new encampment and we have to start the process all over again,” she said. “That is a nightmare that’s unacceptable for anyone.”

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Radischat emphasized that the problem is “a human issue” before all else.

“These are human beings, and you can never take that out of the equation, no matter what their behavior is or anything else. You just don’t let someone else’s behavior be yours,” Radischat said. “So that’s the point at which you begin to fight. I don’t want that behavior in my yard. So how do I take care of that and still help them in a human way? It’s a big struggle internally and emotionally, but I still always remember that they’re human beings.”

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.