Seattle Mayor Ed Murray's plan to roll out homeless encampments across the city has been met with pushback by locals in Interbay and Ballard but they remain a solid short-term solution to help get families off the streets and under a roof.
The third encampment opened on Tuesday in Rainier Valley. Located on MLK Junior Way just south of the light rail station, Othello Village includes eight colorful tiny homes and also has room for dozens of tents. Four of the eight homes are reserved for families and the camp is big enough to accomodate close to 100 people.
To live in the village, all residents must pass a background check and abide by a code of conduct. Residents are also required to help with camp cleaning and security.
Seattle will pay roughly $160,000 per year to supply water, garbage services, and counseling on-site. The Low Income Housing Institute provides hot showers just down the street. LIHI executive director Sharon Lee recently told residents at a local town hall that "36 people that lived in [Ballard & Interbay] encampments have obtained LIHI housing, 22 people have obtained employment."
.@LIHIhousing opened 3rd Homeless Camp in Seattle's Othello neighborhood. It currently offers 8 tiny homes. pic.twitter.com/HZVwYW64pX
— KIRO 7 Jussero (@JJusseroKIRO7) March 9, 2016
New tiny house village for homeless opened today in southeast #Seattle. [See inside >> https://t.co/jOa7qXfFYz] pic.twitter.com/A5i5nz5z8I
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) March 9, 2016
· Seattle's third homeless encampment opens Tuesday [K5]
· Neighbors speak as Othello Village readies for homeless residents [TSG]
· Seattle opens tiny home village to fight homeless crisis [MyN]
· NIMBYs Keep At It In Fight vs. Interbay Homeless Camp [CS]