Seattle Navigation Team clears homeless camp near I-90; some refuse shelter

By: John Knicely

Seattle police officers with the Navigation Team spent Friday clearing about a dozen people from an unsanctioned homeless camp near I-90 and Rainier Avenue.

The city acknowledges more than 400 unsanctioned homeless camps.

KIRO 7 was on the scene and asked why this camp, why now, and what happens to the people being cleared out.

“We have to remove the encampments that pose the most significant public health and safety impacts,” Navigation Team spokesperson Will Lemke told KIRO 7 anchor John Knicely, who then asked what makes this camp fit the criteria. “For this one it’s obstructing public right of way, it is exposed to vehicular traffic, there is trash accumulation especially to the south here.”

Lemke also says people living in the camp routinely crossed an I-90 on-ramp to access it.

KIRO 7 talked to Bob, who was living in the homeless camp.

“You have to go from here to there,” Bob said. “They keep doing this, they keep doing this, they keep doing this!”

The vast majority of the unsanctioned homeless camps meet the city’s criteria to be removed, but the Navigation Team says the lack of available shelter is stopping it.

“We can’t remove an encampment unless we have space in our shelter system,” Lemke said. “So, depending on the capacity, dictates how many encampments we can close down.”

The city identified 20 open spots in area shelters on Friday. That’s enough for everyone living there, including eight spots at First Presbyterian.

That’s a 24/7 shelter.

Some people took the city up on that offer and went there. Others, like Bob, refuse to go to a shelter. So while this camp is shut down, he’s on to the next one.

“I don’t accept rules and regulations,” Bob said. “I don’t like rules and regulations. I like to be free.”