Seattle crews clear huge Ballard camp, but tents move down the street

Seattle city crews cleared one of Ballard’s largest homeless encampments, but tents moved just blocks away.

The camp, on 41st Street along the Burke Gilman Trail, housed roughly 30 people before Thursday’s sweep.

One of the men who lived there told KIRO 7 that most of them moved down the street.

“This is a musical chair thing. It’s one person’s problem, now it’s another person’s problem, and until these people complain, then they’ll push us again, and it’ll be someone else’s problem,” he said.

City officials said six residents accepted housing.

Ballard sweep follows month-long delay by Wilson

The sweep follows a month-long delay ordered by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.

Wilson said she postponed the removal because more time was needed to evaluate the city’s approach.

“Meaningful progress on homelessness means finding solutions that bring more people inside, instead of moving them from place to place,” Wilson wrote in a statement. “That’s why my administration will soon be announcing concrete steps to expedite the expansion of emergency shelter and will move quickly to open new shelter space.”

KIRO 7 reached out to the mayor’s office regarding tents moving only blocks away. The office responded with a link to a post by the mayor.

In the post, Wilson detailed what the city is doing to address homelessness, including improving encampment outreach, expanding shelter with supportive services, and adding 1,000 new emergency housing units this year.

Contributing: KIRO 7