Thursday, October 1, 2026
As a regional transition team moves forward with a phased approach to close “The Jungle” encampment in Olympia, Mayor Dontae Payne recently provided an update on the process that has been going on for weeks with no end date in sight.
The City of Olympia announced in early May that it is working with the transition team on shuttering the encampment, which has been active for more than 10 years.
The team includes representatives from Olympia, Lacey, Thurston County, Intercity Transit, Family Support Center, Interfaith Works and Olympic Health & Recovery Services.
The encampment, which has approximately 200 people residing at the site, has been plagued by myriad issues through the years. That includes assaults, murder and drug use at the 20-acre site, which is sandwiched between Pacific Avenue and Martin Way near Woodard Creek.
“Our goal is to address the challenges at The Jungle in a way that is both compassionate and effective. That means expanding housing opportunities, securing additional resources, strengthening partnerships, increasing shelter and treatment capacity, and connecting people with services that support long-term stability,” said Payne, who was elected to the Olympia City Council in 2021, and then elected mayor in 2023, in a statement issued on July 1.
“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.”
Payne, whose term as mayor expires on Dec. 31, 2027, also touched on lessons learned from the closure of previous encampments in the city.
“Over the past several years, Olympia has successfully closed 14 encampments. Those experiences reinforced an important lesson: whenever possible, connecting people with shelter and services before an encampment closure leads to better outcomes for both the individuals involved and the broader community,” he said.
“Simply clearing The Jungle without meaningful alternatives would likely disperse people throughout parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces without solving the underlying problem. Our responsibility is to pursue solutions that improve conditions for the entire community over the long term. This is the work that’s currently underway.”
The City of Olympia has also created a web page with information about The Jungle encampment transition plan and related details. The city plans to update the web page as new information about the closure process becomes available.
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JW
The mayor and city are pursuing damage control from all the recent bad press about the US Marshals finding a trafficked minor in the Jungle. Particularly galling is the Mayor's reference to this minor as a "young woman" by which, through some vocabulary gamesmanship, he attempts to downplay that this was a CHILD.
The legacy of past city "leadership" running all the way through the current crop of "leaders" is a cesspool of crime, drugs, human despair, and non-profit organizations raking in the money.
Congratulations, Dontae and company: the cherry on top of your abysmal legacy is a trafficked child.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this
longtimeresident
I agree with the mayor's comment that the underlying problem would NOT be solved simply by causing an exodus from the encampment, and no where to go but back into areas where these individuals previously "took up residence". Remember, this is a long standing problem due to no action by previous mayors and other public officials. I would like a little more detail on what the plans are and maybe by going to the City of Olympia website, there might be further information. In any event, I am open to whatever the city decides as long as it is a positive move in the right direction.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this
BettyVerdammt
Olympia: the Little Saint James of the PNW.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this
KarenMcIrish
200 people. Buy another hotel with fireproofing and be done with it.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this
Slugcultrise138
Oh fantastic, mayor. Your brand of compassion will equate to many of those drug addicted, violent, *** trafficking thieves and literal murderers being housed in my apartment building no doubt, because it's owned by family support services and they, like you, are more than happy to just enable all the troublesome behaviors rather than enforce any rules meant to keep the rest of the community safe. It's amazing to watch, really. That isn't compassion, that's laziness and apathy. I understand, believe me. I feel the addict fatigue worse than most being surrounded by these people, but this approach hurts so many people, including children who have been granted back into their parents custody because they now have housing, but nothing has changed with those adults and the kids are the ones who suffer.
Wednesday, July 8 Report this
BobJacobs
The problem of homelessness is regional, and it seems like our local jurisdictions are dealing with it on a regional basis. This is good.
However, I have not seen an analysis of the funding. Funding should come from all jurisdictions in proportion to their populations or budgets or some other reasonable metric.
It has seemed for years that perhaps Olympia taxpayers are bearing a larger share of the financial burden than they rightly ought to.
I have asked for such an analysis for a long time, but have not seen one.
Bob Jacobs
Wednesday, July 8 Report this
tolerd
What about a state and local government that says everyone shall have a home AND living on the street is illegal. It seems alot of taxpayers won't support guaranteeing everyone a home because they rightly figure that there will still be houseless on the street. But if we coupled the two together, I'm wondering if folks would be more supportive?
Wednesday, July 8 Report this
HappyOlympian
Rumor is Boatyarddog going to invite Jungleites to visit his home; get a shower, a nice meal, a little spending money. Well done! Boatyarddog, leading the way instead of pushing for everyone else to support bizarre utopian fantasies.
Wednesday, July 8 Report this
Schnauzer
Going on for 10 years. Doesn’t seem like putting them in Motels, Tiny Houses, Villages is working. There Will Always be Homeless, Drugs, Alcohol, Rapes, Crime and Murders. I have lived most of my life in Thurston County and what used to be safe is NOW ran by Criminals. Should have kept McNeil island open and put the Homeless there. That way they don’t leave, less access to Drugs and Alcohol. Get them clean, teach and train them for a decent job. Then they can be released from there into a slow approach to a normal life. Otherwise it will just be the Same old Crap. I am Honestly Sick of supporting these Camps, Illegals, Lazy Ass people that don’t want to work or never had worked. We will be supporting them the ready of Their lives and rest of our Lives. Might of well send them to other countries like we were invaded with.
Wednesday, July 8 Report this
JenniferMoore
Look i may not be homeless here today, yet for 8 years i was. For 3 of those 8 i lived alone armed. For 5 of those years i lived in one camp to another. We were moved around, treated like people by few, and i lived in the veterans areas of the camps.
The solution is not dissbanding, it is long term housing. Now days im coutch surffing. And its one breath from in a tent. Tjis issue is bigger thsn mentioned. Ive met half of the homeless here in olympia and for the quarter i have met on the streets there are just as many coutch surfing.
Pleaze assist the homless VETRANS first. They fough for your houses and the freedoms in them you take for granted.
22 veterans a day succumb to darkness. Dont increase that.... be the light in the darkness that we all need.
Saturday, July 11 Report this