What’s new in the world of homeless camps?     

Pat Cole

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"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"

What’s new in the world of homeless camps? The county commission took action on Tuesday, June 8 on a couple of significant items that continue the efforts to manage the camps.  

• The commissioners approved a $240,000 contract with Olympia to provide sanitation services, including dumpsters, portable toilets, and RV pump-out. Much of this is already taking place but this provides funding and stability for that effort.  
• The commissioners approved a contract for $691,000 with Angels for Angels angelsforangels.net, a Seattle organization, to manage at least three major homeless camps including Ensign Road and two others.

This last work program is the result of the Scattered Sites Maintenance Program (SSMP) developed by the Thurston Regional Housing Council.  The work will actually be done by the local organization Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP), a group that is already very active in providing services.  It’s clear that the camps need active management, not only to provide services but ideally to control unhealthy or threatening behavior.  We should now be able to address the community’s concerns about unacceptable behavior that has become the norm.  That will help everyone, both camp and city residents. 

What we have been building is a system:  City sanitation services, cleanup, shelter and housing, SSPM with OlyMAP, Olympia’s Crisis Response Team, and the main traditional addiction and mental health services.  The system has clear limitations; there aren’t enough beds, housing, or services, but the foundation is now set, and we can continue to build upon this system.   We have a team and funding to intervene, but now how do we set limits and move people along in the proper direction?  That can mean the whole range between treatment to eviction.

Though we now have funding and a team to manage camps, we don’t know what specific direction OlyMAP will receive from the county. The homeless crisis is dynamic; the situation keeps changing, there are still outstanding questions and the team members have to be agile and flexible to deal with it.  How will the SSMP work to incorporate the city council’s vision with respect to Ensign Road?  This camp is still growing, heading towards Lilly Road.  Will the city allow it to keep growing?    A clear vision for the camps is a significant piece of information that’s missing.  What is the council’s intent for the camps once the eviction moratorium ends?  We know that Olympia tried to close the Ensign Road camp previously.  Are they still interested in closing it?  We don’t know, nor do we even know what legally possible.

The SSMP Pilot Project document says the following is intended to happen:

• Residents of sites are entered into the Coordinated Entry System.
• At least some residents successfully move into permanent housing solutions.
• There is a visible reduction of trash and debris and the site has hygiene services available that are being used appropriately.
• Sidewalks and rights-of-way are clear and passable by motorized and non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.
• There is a reduction of conflict between residents.
• Site numbers of campers are quantified and monitored.
• There are fewer complaints from the public and fewer calls to law enforcement.
• Reduce the frequency of illicit discharge of sewerage into the stormwater system or critical areas.

Equally interesting is what the SSMP says we “cannot be expected to achieve”:

• An overall reduction in the number of people living in vehicles or encampments.
• Finding all or most residents a permanent housing solution within a defined period.
• Quantifying numbers of people in camps (identities).
• Reducing public complaints.
• Reducing calls to law enforcement and emergency services.

Some items are clearly contradictions – see italics, above. We can’t have both fewer complaints from the public and no reduction in public complaints.  Same for the calls to law enforcement.  Hard to imagine that we wouldn’t to work towards reducing both complaints and calls. Do we want to set limits on the size of camps and type of people we allow in them?  What do our elected representatives want to see happen?  I was glad to see that Olympia purchased the property containing the camp known as The Jungle (doesn’t that conjure up quite the image).  That will give the city more ability to manage that camp however they see fit.

I’ve recently met with three council members to talk about this.  From my discussions I get a sense that there is not a mutual desire to have a public discussion about their intent, nor is there a consensus on what limits we should set on the camps or their occupants.  This isn’t really news, we can all see that.  And considering how Mayor Selby has been harassed (vandalizing and staking out her home, stalking her, verbal abuse, etc.). I can understand the hesitancy.  What abusive people don’t understand is that hurts their cause, it doesn’t help it.   But that’s a subject for another day. 

The community needs this discussion about the short-term future of the camps and occupants.  We must talk about what our intent is.  We need to talk about limits, drawing that line between helping and enabling.  We need to know which laws we are going to enforce.  That direction must come from the city council. 

West Bay Yards update

When I wrote about the West Bay Yards project I characterized it primarily as a vesting, which locks in the zoning for the duration of the agreement. Turns out there was more to the deal.  I heard from council member Dani Madrone who I found to be very knowledgeable and aware of the agreement and process.  The Developer agreed to abide by the West Bay Restoration Assessment that was developed by the city, port, and Squaxin Island Tribe which is an additional requirement not in the zoning.  The deal also secured a wider pathway along the water (24 feet) and additional parking for the public.  

Kudos to the city council for facilitating the cleanup of a nasty waterfront site while gleaning added public benefit and ensuring all environmental rules are followed.

Pat Cole  - pcbiglife@gmail.com - is a former member of Olympia's city council. As a private citizen, he seeks to facilitate more action and better communication to assist with efforts to clean up the homeless camps in Thurston County.