Comments

1
Considering the Great Recession, and the fact that we have homeless people, allowing them to camp together seems completely reasonable. How much would it cost the city to rent portapotties for these sites? And empower the police to protect them? I mean seriously, they are citizens too.

We can't live in a bubble, you know, we can assume "Oh, this is the 21st Century, everyone should have proper housing by now..."

Let's be realistic and provide some support for people self-organizing for their own better future. Capitalism sure ain't gonna do that.
2
*we can't assume...
3
Why not pay for them to 'camp' on the east side so they can get work picking fruit? Sounds like a win-win.
4
@1

So you're saying we should allow anyone to establish long-term group campsites on any publicly owned open space? Or would you prefer to keep that camp right where it is now, conveniently far away from your own home?
5
@4, "anyone"? Do you honestly think there are many groups of people out there who are just waiting to live in tents, rather than actual housing? But since enough housing is not available, what would be your choice for them (and "them" sometimes includes children): tents, or on the street? Because that's just about where we are now.
6
@5

Yes, yes, of course, but tents where? Do you want to keep them confined to their present site, or would you favor letting them set those tents up in a nicer city park, or in a more walkable neighborhood, if that's what they wanted to do?
7
@6, wherever there's land available. They can't stay where they are because it's going to be leased/sold/whatever to Food Lifeline. Although I assume you are being snarky by "nicer city park" or "more walkable neighborhood", since they're human beings, they deserve decent surroundings just as do you and I. It wouldn't damage me in any way if they lived in the park two blocks away from me.
8
@7

OK, if you consider the city parks "available land," then do you have any objection to multiple camps? Would you be OK with people coming in from out of town and making their homes on more of the available land in Seattle?
9
Posters are missing the point, which is that allowing people to live in tent encampments in squalid conditions is not humane, nor is it a solution to homelessness. Instead of the city giving $400K a year to SHARE, a proto-anarchist group (though still happy to accept public money) which believes homelessness should be funded by taxpayers as a lifestyle choice, the funding should go to organizations like Plymouth Housing that are actually working to lift people out of homelessness. Tent cities do nothing but perpetuate homelessness. They are not a solution.
10
Never in my life have I seen a city that is held hostage by homeless hooligans who by choice don't want a job, who don't want to follow order, who want to break the law and have no repurcussions for it except to threaten the city if they try to move them. How dare the city council fork over 500k to these people instead of that money going to so many other great and needy causes. We are about ready to lose our transit system, something that will shut this city down, and instead you throw this money down the toilet. Our council members want to give it to people who could care less about anything, who don't pay taxes, and who don't even want jobs. Shame on our elected officials who have allowed this to go on and on and degrade other hard working seattleites businesses and their lands. SHame on our elected officials who think they need to bribe these homeless people to get them moving and out of there. Pack them up and send them off, it is not our responsibility to feed and house them. Nobody helps me when I cant pay my bills, I have to go work to keep a roof over my head and so should they. I do not want my money wasted like this, give it to transit, give it to roads, but don't throw my tax money down the toilet. Nick Licata and Mike Obrien should be looking out for the hard working tax payers of this city, not a bunch of homeless bums who want nothing more out of life than to sit in a tent city and make demands like they are owed something.
11
Never in my life have I seen a city that is held hostage by homeless hooligans who by choice don't want a job, who don't want to follow order, who want to break the law and have no repurcussions for it except to threaten the city if they try to move them. How dare the city of seattle fork over 500k to these people instead of that money going to so many other great and needy causes. We are about ready to lose our transit system, something that will shut this city down, and instead they throw that money down the toilet. The council members want to give it to people who could care less about anything, who don't pay taxes, and who don't even want a job. The council wants to give it to law breakers, and non productive citizens SHame on our elected officials who have allowed this to go on and on and degrade other hard working seattleites businesses and their land. Shame on our elected officials who think you need to bribe these homeless people to get them moving and out of there. Pack them up and send them off, it is not your or my responsibility to feed and house them. Nobody helps me when I cant pay my bills, I have to go work to keep a roof over my head and so should they. I do not want my tax money wasted like this, give it to transit, give it to roads, but don't throw my tax money down the toilet. Nick Licata and Mike Obrien along with all of the other council members should be looking out for the hard working tax payers of this city, not a bunch of homeless bums who want nothing more out of life than to sit in a tent city and make demands like they are owed something and everything.

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