Thursday, October 1, 2026
In July 2025, officials from the cities of Olympia and Lacey toured "The Jungle," a homeless encampment located between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue SE in Olympia.
Their objective was to learn more about the encampment, which has been in place for more than 10 years, and to discuss its future.
Walking along with the officials was Ginny Burton, founder of OUT Impact Coalition, an Olympia-based nonprofit that provides reentry programming for individuals who were formerly incarcerated.
“The people leading the tour talked about the residents as a population too fragile to be disturbed. I have been the person in the tent, and being treated as too fragile to be expected to change is not compassion. It is abandonment with a kinder vocabulary,” she recalled.
“That is not a solution. It is a system paying to keep a crisis comfortable. Some on the tour took the candor well. Others did not, which I expected, because I was describing the system that funds the work.”
Burton knows about the system. She was a drug addicted teenager, who spent years between being homeless, on the streets or in prison.
Almost 15 years later of living clean and sober, she has graduated with honors from the University of Washington, committed herself to solving societal issues as a service provider, facilitates prison treatment programs and is now the author of the book, "The Gabriel Plan." In the book, she argues that current policies fail in responding to the drug and homelessness crises, and the current system is broken.
Local officials intend to close The Jungle. On May 8, the City of Olympia announced a regional effort was afoot to shutter The Jungle. Nine days later, city officials visited the encampment as part of an effort to address homelessness in the area.
And then on July 1, Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne issued a statment about the issue on city's website. It reads, in part: “We will continue addressing public health and safety concerns, enforcing laws where appropriate, and working closely with our local, state and regional partners to pursue lasting — not temporary — solutions.”
Details on how and when the closure will occur, as well as the cost to accomplish the goal are unclear. Furthermore, Burton is not convinced the collective efforts will be effective, and that accountability and transparency are lacking.
"There has to be accountability at every level, from leadership to the person in the tent. Make sure there is somewhere lawful to sleep, then expect people to follow the law and care for that space," Burton said.
"Then teach the skills for self-sufficiency. Stop funding inputs and fund only outcomes that build a stronger community. Reduce the burden on taxpayers, improve safety, and move people toward standing on their own."
As efforts to close The Jungle now stand, Burton believes the money to be allocated to municipal and county agencies to close the encampment will not be well spent because the system does just the opposite.
“The dollars follow the number of people in the system and the volume of services delivered to them, so if the homeless population shrank, the funding built on serving it would shrink too,” contends Burton. “Without anyone intending it, that structure rewards keeping people in the system rather than moving them out.”
As for transparency, she said it must be required of all agencies involved in the closure.
“Real transparency would publish the numbers that matter: How many people entered services? How many became self-sufficient? How many stayed out at one, two, and three years? And, how many dollars were spent for every durable exit?" she said.
"Instead the city and the broader system publish activity, meals served, kits handed out, people housed, and call it progress. We are paying to make the symptom (homelessness) more orderly, and the count keeps growing."
To that extent, the 2024 Point-In-Time Count Homeless Census in Thurston County revealed that there were 212 more homeless individuals than in 2023. That marked an increase of 24.7 percent in the period.
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JW
All talk. Where have they been for the past ten years? The fraud, abuse, and pathetic leadership has led to total chaos and death. Last week someone had their head beaten in with a propane tank in the Jungle. The week before the US Marshals rescued a trafficked child. Let's not forget the baseball bat beatings and fire bombings from last year.
At least the non profits have been getting all that sweet taxpayer money to benefit off of this.
Monday, July 13 Report this
TheGreatAnon
This is a long form press release for an Christian non-profit seeking donations. While I can't criticize their efforts it is irresponsible to present their propaganda as news.
Monday, July 13 Report this
Tanker1982
I agree with JW
Monday, July 13 Report this
OlyMamaLlama
I would really love to have Burton expand on what “the system” is. She comes off as someone who doesn’t know what she’s talking about. If that’s the case, why is she being interviewed? If that’s not the case, we need to revisit our draft, editors!
Monday, July 13 Report this
Boatyarddog
Being a "ecologically" important area, perhaps a person or more than 1 person would be willingassume responsibility for its protection status, and agree to 'steward" the acreage. As well be responsible for its continued use or closure.
Maybe they can "manage it themselves as "Caretakers"
If this does Not work, it should be closed.
Keep it safe and clean or Lose it and leave.
This is a stretch, but it could weed out those that just abuse the available asset, and those that are wanting a Space for those needing/wanting a a safe place to stay.
Monday, July 13 Report this
Boatyarddog
Call me crazy... But let's give them a chance to Work for their lifestyle.
Monday, July 13 Report this
Me_In_Oly
OlyMamaLlama, the article details Ms. Burton’s background. Does she not sound like someone who knows what she’s talking about vis-a-vis those staying at The Jungle?
Monday, July 13 Report this
BettyVerdammt
Ginny Burton understands Olympia's local industries: Fentanyl, larceny, homeless support services, and non-profit jobs for Evergreen graduates.
Tuesday, July 14 Report this
Snevets
I think the Mayor and the city need to sit down with Ms Burton and start a dialogue.
Tuesday, July 14 Report this
Beenthere
Some of your comments indicate that you barely read or understood this article. Ginny Burton is the change that is needed. She's walked the walk deep in the trenches of hell and miraculously worked her way out with the help of the criminal justice system. She's not part of the homeless industrial complex although she's also worked in that field and understands it's failures well. Merely throwing money, food, tents and drug kits at folks is guaranteeing their destruction, not their recovery.
Wednesday, July 15 Report this