Homeless encampments on the move after City Hall encampment sweep

SEATTLE — New homeless encampments appear to be popping up elsewhere in downtown Seattle, following two sweeps last week, including one near City Hall.

Less than a week ago, crews moved in and cleared out one of Seattle’s most visible homeless encampments across from Seattle City Hall.

Police set up a new mobile unit downtown along 3rd Avenue.

Some Belltown residents say those pushed out are moving in on their sidewalks.

We’re already getting complaints about these new encampments. That’s how we found out about the ones around here, tents on 3rd Avenue.

People here say they popped up over the last couple of days.

The tents are located beside one of King County Metro’s busiest bus stops on 3rd Avenue between Virginia and Lenora.

“They were not there Friday,” said Ellen Loney. “And prior to the police presence, there was somebody selling stuff obviously from smash and grabs.”

Loney frequently catches the bus here.

“I don’t understand how this country could have so many homeless people, you know,” said Loney. “I just wish they could house them all. But there are many that refuse it.”

Indeed, the man who moved his tent here told us he refused the housing he was offered because it did not meet his mental health needs.

Now, he says, Seattle police are telling him he has to move again.

“Yes, I’m gathering my things up now,” he said through his tent.

There is a similar situation around the corner on Lenora. The man inside this tent says he, too, has been asked to move.

“They asked me to,” he said. “CVS and the police.”

He moved just across the alley from CVS onto someone else’s private property.

This eyewitness video shows his tent was here on March 6 when a CVS employee chased after a thief.

Carliss Todd is a longtime security worker for Martin Selig properties. “I work from Jackson all the way to Belltown,” he says. He has witnessed the homeless situation “all the time.”

He says he has seen more of the unhoused around here since the encampment across from Seattle City Hall was dismantled last week.

“I think it’s worse now since they moved the camping over there by the thing,” Todd said. “I think it’s worse now. So they’re all coming out this way, to Belltown.”

The city’s new HOPE team re-sent a news release from last week.

It says that seven people from the City Hall encampment accepted housing. Nine people did not. They just moved someplace else.

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