The City of Seattle just cleared the Nickelsville homeless encampment near I-5 at South Dearborn Street. Residents of the encampment had been staring down an eviction notice ever since they voted to oust Scott Morrow, the camp's longtime staffer, last month.
"That move effectively invalidates the agreement that allows them to occupy their current home at 1010 South Dearborn Street and severs their ties with the nonprofit organization Nickelsville," Heidi reported in February.
This morning, Heidi was at Dearborn to watch the "sweep" go down:
Dearborn homeless encampment reps say SPD is sweeping the camp now. More when I know it. Background: https://t.co/74CP1878zq
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
Just got to Camp Dearborn, formerly city sanctioned Nickelsville. Cops aren't letting anyone inside the camp. pic.twitter.com/TcbE2HKpQ8
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
Residents had asked community members to come support them for possible "occupation" (refusal to leave).
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
Sixteen people were living at the camp before the city cleared it this morning. It's unclear how many are willing to go to another encampment, Heidi reports, because some of those encampments are also run by the Nickelsville nonprofit.
1/ City staff say they've been doing outreach here for two weeks, but two residents I spoke to said they didn't hear from anyone until today
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
2/ when they were told they had 30 minutes to get out.
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
Gary, who's 36 and has been homeless since 2001, says he's "done with encampments," not sure where he'll go. pic.twitter.com/EXx0pYRQ3c
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
Gary told Heidi he lived at Dearborn for more than a year and "kept hoping" for a case worker.
1/ Mayor's public safety adviser, Scott Lindsay, is here. I asked why this is good use of the city's limited $$ during a homelessness crisis
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
2/ He says important for city to respect landowner's request to clear the camp so other landowners not discouraged from hosting encampments
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016
More coming soon. Follow Heidi for updates here.
Meanwhile: More sweeps coming the the area nearby, where a few people appear to be living, on Monday. pic.twitter.com/952XMDUrwq
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) March 11, 2016