tents illicity activity
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Downtown Tents Used for Sale of Illicit Goods, Not Shelter

View at Twitter

Housing First is Failing

Seattle Times reporting @KC_RHA outreach workers downtown say many tents there are not used by homeless people as shelter to live and sleep, but for the sale of illicit goods. I’ve been reporting on this with VIDEO EVIDENCE for months.@mayorofseattle @CMAndrewJLewis @govinslee @kcexec

“We can all see with our own eyes whether there are few people or not living on sidewalks and alleys and doorways. The complicating factor is that some of the disorder in downtown has been called “homelessness” but is not caused only by people without housing.” -John Scholes, CEO Downtown Seattle Association

Whack a Mole

I have never witnessed an encampment in #Seattle return this often. Tents along 3rd Ave near City Hall were removed dozens of times since last year, but already back. Who’s providing brand new tents? @MayorofSeattle @KC_RHA @CMAndrewJLewis @kcexec @GovInslee

Recurring Nightmare

This 3rd Ave and Cherry St encampment in downtown #Seattle has the most “trap tents,” used for illicit activity. @MayorofSeattle @CMAndrewJLewis @kcexec @GovInslee

Danger to Community

Many in these tents are not homeless and stay nearby at @DESCSeattle‘s Lyon building or Morrison. It’s become a hang out to do drugs. Worst kept secret. #Seattle @MayorofSeattle @KC_RHA

Downtown Disaster

Meanwhile on this Super Bowl weekend, encampment near #Seattle City Hall is thriving. Fentanyl, fights, stolen goods, runaway teens in tents. No end in sight after multiple sweeps. Why is it allowed to come back? @MayorofSeattle @KC_RHA @GovInslee @kcexec

Hide Out

These downtown #Seattle tents are being used by runway teenagers. Earlier this month, SPD arrested a15 year old fentanyl addicted teen in the 3rd Ave and Cherry St. encampment. His grandma says this intervention saved his life. She’s now calling on @MayorofSeattle and other elected officials to shut down this encampment for good and find a way to prevent it from popping up again. @CMAndrewJLewis @kcexec @GovInslee @KC_RHA

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.