Tacoma sweeps ‘Jungle’ homeless camp
Apr 18, 2017, 2:19 PM
KTTH's Jason Rantz argues illegal homeless camps are illegal and dangerous. (KIRO 7 file photo)
(KIRO 7 file photo)
The sweep of Tacoma’s illegal homeless encampment known as the “Jungle” left dozens of people searching for a new place to live.
RELATED: Problem with growing Tacoma homeless camp goes beyond trash
People living under the I-5 and I-705 ramps and bridges were told to move by Tuesday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The homeless encampment is Tacoma’s largest. Half of the camp is located underneath the bridge near the Tacoma Dome on land and owned by the city. The other half of the camp is on land owned by the state.
Much like the now closed “Jungle” homeless camp in Seattle, Tacoma’s Jungle is a safety issue, with needles, rodents, and trash piling up.
At one point there were more than 100 people living in the camp Claudia Bingham Baker with WSDOT says that number is going down, but there are still several dozen campers there.
People living in Tacoma’s Jungle were given 72 hours notice of the sweep on Friday. Services and shelter arrangements are being made for those who want it.
