Community Impact

Reality Check Major Sound Transit (@SoundTransit) stops in Seattle are closed this weekend including Pioneer Square and International District/Chinatown. Commuters have to take shuttle buses above ground. For some, it’s forcing them to see the urban decay for the first time in downtown hot spots like 3rd Ave near City Hall. It’s super risky out here when almost everyone is smoking fentanyl and conducting all kinds of illicit activity in tents. So there are transit security guards nearby. However, volunteers including high school students with Westgate Chapel remain unfazed. They come to the underbelly of the city to serve and say what’s happening out here is spiritual warfare, also caused by a breakdown in the traditional family unit. They believe Read More ›

With Seattle public schools starting back up in less than a month, there is growing concern about an encampment exploding in size at the corner of North 90th Street and Nesbit Avenue. The encampment is just a one-minute walk from Robert Eagle Staff Middle School and is taking up entire sidewalks. The tents and structures are located behind Aurora Commons drop-in center for the homeless and have been there for more than four months. Staff at Aurora Commons say authorities have responded to shootings at the encampment and that open-air drug use is a regular occurrence in the parking lot. Grant, a homeless man in the encampment only wants me to use his first name and says he’s trying to Read More ›

They’re Already Back Late last month, Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) sent in crews to clear a massive drug den along I-5 in downtown Seattle. Authorities say a DRUG TURF WAR fueled by a revenge plot and homemade BOMBS rocked this notorious encampment. Less than two weeks later, several people have already broken in and are now setting up shop. When I showed up Sunday morning, the entrance to the fence along Yesler Way wasn’t even locked. Not sure who is running point for security on this WSDOT (@wsdot) property, but it might be time to invest in better locks and more fencing. Taking Matters into Own Hands On July 27, this encampment was “deemed an emergency,” so the city took Read More ›

As city and county officials remain paralyzed trying to manage Burien’s out of control homeless encampment crisis, Kristine Moreland of “The More We Love” is building trust and relationships. “There are predators coming in from the community and preying on the people in here,” Moreland says as we walk past an encampment. She and her outreach partner, Chri Wee, are helping move men and women out of tents in the heart of downtown Burien into the services they need. They’ve been hired by local businesses to do the work politicians and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority have neglected. Together, they’ve moved more than two dozen men and women into housing or programs in just one month. “We celebrate because Read More ›

A fireball engulfed several trees and tents along I-5 in downtown Seattle on Friday morning inside a well-known homeless encampment. The property is a Washington State Department of Transportation right of way, and witnesses say they heard propane tanks exploding and saw “a bunch of black smoke.” Fire crews responded immediately to extinguish the flames. Authorities say one man suffered injuries from the fire and checked himself into Harborview Medical Center. “We need to get these people off the streets,” one witness tells me. A hospital spokesperson says the victim is notorious graffiti vandal Casey Cain, also known as EAGR. His tag was found on a sink left standing amid the wreckage. The 36-year-old was out on bail for vandalism Read More ›

Across the street from Arrowhead Gardens senior living community on Myers Way in Seattle sprawls a massive homeless encampment. On Tuesday evening, frustrated seniors at Arrowhead Gardens unloaded their concerns over the encampment and slammed the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for mishandling the response. The seniors said they were “ashamed of the state,” and “feel threatened” living in close proximity to the encampment. The encampment has raised concerns about open air drug use, human trafficking, gun violence, and an overall increase in crime. Diane Radischat, president of Arrowhead’s senior living association, says a homeless person from the encampment “defecated in one of our washing machines.” A theme of the comments made Tuesday evening was a sense that the Read More ›

Lurking in the Woods The SWIMMING POOL is what really brought attention to this West Seattle homeless encampment along Myers Way. But for weeks now, I’ve been exploring the constellation of mini encampments in the deep woods nearby. Most of this is still on Washington State Dept of Transportation (@wsdot) property. I counted at least 40 suspected situations. Lots of drug use, trash, and no doubt there is run off going into the waterways. It’s an environmental disaster in the making. I also met one guy who is extremely talented and should be working. He built one of the craziest encampments I have ever seen with an underground tunnel system in the works. But the state might want to get Read More ›

Jonathan Choe joins reporters on Newsmax to discuss the illegal takeover of Washington state property in Seattle where homeless occupants are felling trees, building driveways, and setting up pools. Watch the full clip here:

The city of Burien, Washington altered the parade route for its 100th Annual Independence Day Celebration to avoid a massive homeless encampment. The encampment on SW 152nd St near the entrance of a Grocery Outlet and Dollar Tree is now close to 20 tents deep. “It’s best just to err on caution,” Debra George, who leads Discover Burien, a coalition of business owners responsible for making the last-minute decision, said. “We’re going to take a left on 4th and just head into town square park,” George added. Families, children, and tourists usually line downtown streets to get a glimpse of the floats and marching bands, but George says they have no choice but to alter the route since the city is refusing to remove the Read More ›

New Developments King County Metro (@KingCountyMetro) is removing the bus shelter at 12th Ave and Jackson St in #Chinatown-ID in the coming weeks. Neighbors say the signs were posted a few days ago. REASON: “Ongoing safety issues and unsanitary conditions.” In other words, city and county leaders are now desperately trying to find solutions to address one of the most notorious hot spots for drug dealing, sales of stolen merchandise, and other crimes. These bus shelters are ideal since it gives cover for all the illicit activity. Problem is, when it rains or snows, Asian American seniors and other riders will have to deal with the elements. As usual, I spent the weekend scoping out all the action. Whenever there’s Read More ›