The mayor needs to pick a permanent site for the nomadic tent encampment of homeless people called Nickelsville, according to a recommendation of the Housing and Services for Seattle’s Unsheltered Homeless Population panel today. However, the panel, appointed by Mayor Mike McGinn, did not recommend any specific location. Asked repeatedly, panelists said that the decision belongs to the mayor.
Deputy mayor Darryl Smith says his office will send a list of city-owned prospective sites to the panelists for their input this week, and the final decision would be made by the human services and planning and development departments, along with the mayor’s office. Smith did not want to disclose the names of the sites to the media before giving the panelists a chance to see them. He added that a private citizen could also offer land.
Advocates for the homeless enthusiastically greeted the news. “We see so many people not accommodated by shelters—this will be a great option,” said Tim Harris of Real Change newspaper. There was a friendly amendment, which the panel approved, to find a location that could support an “eco-village,” which would include a building as a central hub for the outdoor tent village and include some sort of garden.
Nickelsville has been met with controversy when it moved to new sites in the past, but the organization’s staff said Monday that they have not heard any concerns about a permanent encampment so far. Some council members have expressed concern about the idea, including Council member Sally Bagshaw who recently advocated against a permanent site for Nickelville on her blog.
“We will work with the council to address any concerns they have,” said Smith. “But of course, nothing is guaranteed.”
More after the jump.
With winter fast approaching, the panel stressed the urgency of having the recommendation implemented soon. “It’s difficult to put a timeline on this, but it’s our goal to move as quickly as possible,” Smith said. The panel also recommended that the city allow homeless people to camp overnight on public property without getting arrested, and that the city open up public facilities, including City Hall, to shelter the homeless.
Smith sat in on the discussion at City Hall this afternoon, which was attended by nearly 100 people. “He [Smith] was non-committal,” said panel chair Rick Friedhoff, director of the Compass Center, which provides housing services to the homeless. “We are waiting to see how the citizenry would react.”
Nickleodeans, residents of the encampment, say don’t mind moving to a semi-industrial area, as long as they have “friendly” neighbors. Drugs, weapons, and sex offenders would be banned from this self-governed encampment and IDs would be mandatory.
Right now, Nickelsville is camped out on the parking lot of the University Congregational Church in the U-district. Tent cities usually have to move every 90 days. The panel recommends that the City of Seattle sanction available property to Nickelsville while aggressively pursuing low-income housing for the homeless as a long-term solution. Pastor Catherine Foote of University Congregational Church said there was no chance of Seattle having a squatter problem. “I am not worried about a community like Nickelsville,” she said. “They are very responsible.”
Permanent home for Nicklesville?
How about Dallas, TX?
You can get plenty of homes there for under $60,000
http://hotpads.com/search#lat=32.7587324…
End homelessness in Seattle.
Move them to someplace affordable.
I’ve long believed the best way to support Nickelsville is to establish a 501(c)3 foundation to support it, led by (who else) Greg Nickels! Who else has the brand association and civil chops to establish and run such an organization? And what better way to convert social capital into social service capital for the benefit of its residents?
where in the world would be put this permanent tent city? even leaving out the way whatever neighborhood was chosen would scream bloody murder;
property that is accessible by bus is pricy, too pricy for a camp ground.
We could leave the viaduct up and set up the tents there after it is closed to traffic.
What homeless person doesn’t want a 3 bedroom stucco, only $55,000
4909 Penrose Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76116
3 beds: $55,000
Full Baths: 2
Square Feet: 1035
http://hotpads.com/search#lat=32.7587324…
What about all the homeless people that don’t fit into the Nicklesville way of life? There’s always a point where you say “tough shit, asshole”. Nville wants to lower the bar, but there’s still a bar.
How about somewhere in the middle of Puget Sound?
And shouldn’t they be called McGinnville’s now?
@PSTO, go fuck yourself
@ Supreme Ruler guy, you are not funny
@ Women2me, go check out Portland’s Dignity Village. It started as tent platforms and is now small cottages made of recycled materials. The city gave them land and they are now their own 501 3C. A wind turbine was donated to provide some electricity and there is a big garden too. They are located by the airport quite a ways from everything but have a bus stop right in front of their property. http://www.dignityvillage.org
@7 From a Nickelsville mailing: “Last week we wrote
Mayor McGinn, and made clear that we don’t blame him for homelessness and have no plans to change our community’s name.”
I found a beautiful place.
Beware the Housing and Services for Seattle’s Unsheltered Homeless Population panel! A sinister and shadowy cabal whose nefarious decrees carry no weight whatsoever and will surely be ignored by..well, pretty much everyone.
How about “The Jungle” next to I-5 on Beacon HIll? At least there would be some people kicking around to keep an eye on the place.
These fuckers won’t rest until they’ve turned Seattle into San Francisco’s Civic Center circa 1993.
How about Cal Anderson Park?
I’m sure the Stranger would welcome these folks into their 2-block radius.
How about San Diego?
@Curlove
Back atcha. Good comeback, by the way. Very informative.
@9 tiktok,
But they *do* blame Nickels – a guy who is no longer in office – for homelessness? What a bunch of fucking idiots.
Put Nickelsville out by the airport just like Portland. Put it near one of the fences which will provide it some security. It is near a bus line too…
Why wouldnt that idea work?
That will tell me how many homeless are truly looking for a solution to their housing needs, vs those just looking to continue scamming the system and getting by with whatever is most convenient to their begging schedule. A location that is away from downtown, and away from easy begging locations, combined with somewhere that provides bus transit to get around, combined with somewhere outside the downtown corridor.
Win/win/win
@PTSO
Sure, it’s not necessarily unreasonable to blame the guy whose policies helped put them in their predicament (in their eyes), even if he’s no longer in office, but homelessness is always the result of a combination of bad luck and bad judgement. The ‘Nickelsville’ name was a shortsighted political move, but now they’re stuck with it. “Tent City [X]” would have too many immediate repercussions, even though that’s exactly what it looks like.
Speaking of shortsighted political moves, I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve sent out an email saying that they’re moving into their *permanent* site in a few weeks, but then don’t. It makes them look like they don’t know what they’re doing, because I don’t believe that they had viable actual sites that just kept falling through.
<< small cottages made of recycled materials >>
When you say something like that I picture a lovely description of what is actually a shanty town made out of boxes and discarded corregated metal. Just like Mexican border towns;
and in case you think my shanty town reference is off, here is a link to a picture of one of the houses from their website. lovely –
http://www.dignityvillage.org/index.php?…
@21 – good thing you don’t have to live in one. i understand how looking at them occasionally could be a trial for you, though.
@ PSTO, when you say homeless people should be put in the middle of the ocean then you are implying they should be drowned. That makes you a troll. Go away and stop and lowering the quality of discourse on this thread.
@ Womyn2me, I’m sure your experience with the architecture of Mexican border towns is vast but don’t use scare tacticts to shoot down a solution to Nickeslville. Providing a permanent place for tent platforms and hygeine facilities is a far cry from cardboard box shantys.
@ 12 – the proposed preferred site is actually right next to The Jungle. Plan is to put a vulnerable population next to a violent and drug enduced vulnerable population.
@curlove #23,
You may want to take a look out there in the Sound. We gots islands out there and everything, many of which are largely unused land. Try Google maps.
Thanks for the quality response. I’m sure we’re all better human beings for it, and fuck you, too.
October 28, 2010
An Open Letter to Our MAYBE (maybe not) Future Neighbors:
Here’s a Greeting and Invitation from the men, women, children and pets of Nickelsville!
We cordially invite you to a Halloween Open House this Sunday, October 31st. Our Halloween Theme this year is ‘Face Your Fears!.’ This event will be held from 2:00 to 6:00 PM and will feature fun and entertainment for the whole family. There will be tours, treats, and opportunities to get to know each other one on one!
So come on out and celebrate with us! We are located on the NE corner of NE 45th Street and 15th Avenue NE in the parking lot of University Congregational United Church of Christ in the University District.
BE THERE OR BE SCARED!
For more information visit http://www.nickelsvilleseattle.org/ or email Scott@Nickelsvilleseattle.org
Here is a wild, out-there idea — let’s put them in shelters! Just like Nickels offered to do when they first formed. But, you say, didn’t they REFUSE to take the emergency indoor shelter option with promises for transitional housing? Why yes, they did! Well then, why not offer to put them up in one of the unused buildings at Sandpoint. What? They WERE offered that, and refused AGAIN? You mean there are homeless people out there refusing offers of housing and indoor space?
Gee, it wouldn’t be because this particular small group of professional homeless are running a scam to get some free land and permanent city funding, is it? Nah, since we all know every single homeless person out there just misunderstood and only needs a wee little bit of help, and maybe a blanket, and crust of bread, and anyone who might possibly question the motives of Nickelsville is an Evil Nazi Darth Vader who eats small children for breakfast.