Rantz: Cal Anderson Park overrun by growing homeless encampments, yet City of Seattle said it’s ‘resolved’

Swaths of homeless people have overrun Cal Anderson Park, with tents now lining the popular green space in Seattle’s Capitol Hill. But don’t tell that to the city of Seattle — a department spokesperson claims they’ve already ‘resolved’ the issue.

Early last week, Quality of Life Coalition leader Saul Spady was at Cal Anderson Park meeting a friend when he noticed upwards of 30 tents all around the property. They made up roughly five “multi-tent encampments,” in addition to errant singular tents. He said that

“Probably the most shocking moment … a mother and a daughter came running up to me … and she’s like, ‘Oh my God, that man is urinating over there. He whipped out his ‘woohoo’ in front of my daughter.’ That’s horrible,” Spady explained on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “And then, well, I was walking around, of course, you get the whiffs of fentanyl, and it just reminds you that we really lost the plot in a lot of ways.”

City of Seattle says encampment at Cal Anderson Park is ‘resolved,’ but it’s not

A spokesperson for the City of Seattle explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH that the situation had been “resolved” by the Unified Care Team (UCT), a multi-agency staffed unit that supposedly connects the homeless with resources.

“Cal Anderson Park is included in the Unified Care Team’s weekly inspection schedule,” the spokesperson explained. “When UCT became aware of tents at the location on July 24, they immediately began offering shelter and supportive services to individuals residing there, and they resolved the site on July 25. UCT will continue to closely monitor the location and take additional action as needed.”

But the site was not “resolved” by any definition of the word. In fact, Spady says it appears the encampment has actually grown.

In a follow-up statement, the spokesperson claimed it “facilitated the removal of all unauthorized structures on July 25, leaving the park open and accessible to all. Given that the park quickly repopulates, UCT plans to visit the location at least twice each week to inspect, conduct outreach, and remove structures and associated debris as needed.”

Something has to be done

Of all the neighborhoods you’d expect to be complacent about growing, dangerous homeless encampments, it’s Capitol Hill. Residents are overwhelmingly far-left, many socialists, who often defend their neighborhood as some mecca of progressive values. But their complacency shouldn’t mean that the city does little to help people living in filth get the help they need.

Spady’s Quality of Life Coalition is pushing a homeless encampment ban in unincorporated King County. He’s currently collecting signatures for a ballot initiative. But his goal includes bringing this common sense and wildly popular idea to the city of Seattle. City council candidate Rachael Savage also announced this week that she filed an initiative mirroring the Quality of Life Coalition.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at pushing cities, counties, and states to sweep encampments and push the homeless into shelters and treatment. Though homelessness has worsened under Democratic leadership, especially in Seattle and King County, thanks to their laissez-faire approach of “harm reduction” and “housing first,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Governor Bob Ferguson have criticized President Donald Trump’s move. But if they considered it “resolved” when an encampment is growing, perhaps they should take the help when offered.

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