homeless sweeps

I went to the Ballard homeless encampment that has been dominating Seattle headlines, and what I found there was not clarity or compassion colliding with cruelty, but a system quietly failing almost everyone involved. Business owners and nearby residents are frustrated and exhausted. They’ve watched the encampment grow while public spaces deteriorate and safety concerns mount. On the other side, homeless advocates are fiercely defending the right of people to remain where they are, arguing that sweeps only deepen trauma and solve nothing. Caught in the middle is a city trying to signal change under new leadership, while offering very little evidence that real change is actually happening. This encampment was scheduled to be swept, but Mayor Katie Wilson halted Read More ›

Zero Solutions Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is getting hammered after another disruptive sweep under her new administration. But the criticism isn’t coming from her comrades with far-left activist group Stop the Sweeps Seattle. Homeless drug addicts say her promise to do things differently from the previous administration hasn’t materialized. The vast majority of the people living at the MLK Jr. Way encampment rejected services and shelter options Wednesday morning, then fled into the deep woods. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez calls them the “service resistant.” And right now, Mayor Wilson has offered zero solutions to address this group causing the most harm to themselves and the community.

Canceled Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson abruptly canceled the first major encampment sweep of the year. It was scheduled for Wednesday morning in Ballard. Neighbors are furious and some in the outreach community are questioning this decision. But Wilson’s risky call could be a long-term blessing in disguise. Other Sweeps Continue Wilson’s spokesperson sent me a statement saying this is a one-off and that the mayor “believes a better resolution is possible at that location.” We are still waiting on those details. Meanwhile other encampment sweeps are still happening across the city. Blessing in Disguise? As for how this could be a blessing in disguise, Mayor Wilson could set a new precedent by personally going to this encampment and meeting the Read More ›

No Permanent Solution More taxpayer dollars being wasted on another RV encampment sweep Wednesday morning in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. This is the same spot that’s been cleared dozens of times under Mayor Bruce Harrell’s watch. Instead of finding a permanent solution, Harrell will likely allow them to come right back in a few hours. During the past five years, I have personally covered at least 20 sweeps in this very same spot. This is the craziest cycle I have ever witnessed in my career. I’m not saying the RVs should be allowed to stay. As usual, there have been reports of drug dealing, sex trafficking, and assaults at this encampment. But the current plan is not working.