Seattle Agrees to Provide Nickelsville a Permanent Location, It Just Doesn't Say Where

by Indy · 2010-10-28 07:41:00 UTC
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A long-awaited meeting at Seattle City Hall gave encouragement to the city's homeless population this week. Mayor Mike McGinn's Citizen's Review Panel unanimously voted to find a permanent location for Nickelsville, the self-sufficient tent city.

To the delight of everyone present, the panel members showed they recognized that the city's policies should be geared towards allowing people to stay where they are as long as they do not interfere with other's rights or are a disturbance to the peace.

Several recommendations were made, including the creation of safety zones for homeless campers, people who sleep outdoors or in their cars. Overnight shelters should have more priority than those provided during the daytime along with expanding shelter capacities in buildings owned by government. A staff person from Nickelsville will be at the deputy mayor's office to set up a meeting about  finding a permanent site quickly as the deadline for the tent city to move again is November 15th. Residents, or "Nickelodeons," were told that a meeting with the mayor would follow the "Encampment Panel's" vote. Tell Seattle to find a permanent location for Nickelsville, and soon!

The steps being taken by the mayor's office show recognition that Seattle has a homeless emergency crisis. Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith mentioned that the mayor's office will not divulge the list of sites being looked at until members of the panel have a chance to review them. Weather conditions have recently worsened and the city is expected to respond by providing emergency shelter at the Frye Hotel and City Hall downtown.

Although Nickelsville leaders are asking everyone to congratulate the panel for all their good work, they are also asking for recommendations to be sent to the mayor's office calling for strong executive and decisive action in finding Nickelsville a permanent location as previous recommendations have often landed in the trash. It will take a collective effort to prevent this from happening again.

Photo credit: Indy

Indy is a single mother of two, working on a degree and occasionally teaching herself how to repair cars. She has been homeless since 2004.

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