The Ballard Homes for All Coalition is reaching out to dozens of churches to help “homeless car campers” around the neighborhood.
Back in 2008, the coalition proposed a one-year pilot project for one congregation to host a handful of people, providing them with a place to park and access to hygiene facilities. During the 2008 Sustainable Ballard Festival unveiled the hygiene station above. “That project never got off the ground unfortunately for a variety of reasons though we did a lot of work around developing guidelines for operation of the site, a screening checklist, resident/host agreements, acquiring funding, and, of course, constructing the mobile shower,” Jean Darsie the chair of the coalition tells us.
Now the coalition is proposing that multiple churches help the car campers. “We are taking a new direction this time and reaching out to multiple congregations in Ballard, asking them to take in one, maybe, two vehicles onto their land and offering a level of support to them based on the congregation’s ability or willingness to provide,” Darsie says.
The Ballard Homes for All Coalition is holding a community meeting on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at the Crown Hill United Methodist Church (8500 14th Ave NW) to discuss this idea. Speakers at the meeting will be Jean Darsie, John Skans from Crown Hill Methodist Church and Sally Kinney from the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness. For more information you can contact Darsie at nwcitizen@comcast.net.
Sounds great! Nice way to put words into action. Keep up the good work!
Really?! I’m sorry I cannot support the “Bleeding Hearts” of Ballard anymore. Ballard has a serious vagrant/homeless/bum/street person problem and by opening up “land” or “space” to allow people to stay there is not a good idea. Even though it is being done already. All it does is send a message to everyone that Ballard is a place to come because you are welcomed with open arms. Here’s an idea, show your true Christian values and open your front door to these people…let them park in your driveway and stay in your homes, eat your food, use your bathroom, be exposed to your children…put your beliefs into action. I bet the majority of people wouldnt dare open their home to someone. Shelter’s and agency’s exist for this very reason as do social programs to help individuals get back on their feet and change their lives for the better, let those Social service programs that the Tax Payers fund do what they are supposed to do and if it’s not working then hold those who run them accountable for not doing their job. Ballard is NOT and SHOULD NOT be “the Statue of Liberty” for Seattle ring out: “Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Please no!
Ballard can’t afford to support more, and more will come if we provide more services for the homeless.
People flock to places if the service is there. Statistics show for example if you open a methadone clinic or needle exchange in an area, Heroin addicts from elsewhere move into the area.
I am all for helping the Ballard homeless in someway, but this is too much. I am tired of the homeless shelters, compass housing, tent city etc.
If a church wants to help, then house or give a job to just one of the unfortunate ballard residents on the street until they can get on their feet.
All doing the above will do will make Church carparks (that are almost all in residential areas) untidy and possible drunks roaming around. I can also predict more pan-handling too.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I have these “residents” park in front of my house from time to time…usually in 72 hour blocks since that is the legal timeframe. It’s nice when I have guests over that they have to park behind the motorhome that is sitting there. Without fail, they leave garbage, and/or put their garbage my my cans (sometimes the wrong can so I need to transfer it). I’ve had one ask me if they could “plug in”..meaning run an extension cord to an outlet. Really? They then usually walk to the nearby Starbucks to use the bathrooms.
Why would we create a program to attract MORE of that into the neighborhood? What is the benefit of it?
Please consider donating beat up cars to the bums in Seattle and surrounding neighborhoods so they can camp out in Ballard and we can rid Seattle, Queen Anne, Green Lake and Magnolia of bums.
Thank you Ballard for welcoming our bums, druggies and winos.
No on this too. I’m all for helping people out, but subsidizing and encouraging the hobo life style is a bit too much. I’ve had atent city in my neighborhood and had some negative experiences with it. This owuld just be the same on a smaller scale…
Be prepared to be shouted down or made to feel like YOU are the problem at this meeting on Thursday … I’ve been to a couple of these meetings at churches and they’re a joke. Most neighbors expressing concern about this were not being listened to. The whole thing seemed like the decision had already been made and they were only having a community meeting on the matter because they felt compelled to.
I truly hope this isn’t more of the same.
Perhaps someone could have a table outside to collect signatures against this idea.
I can’t make this Thursday unfortunately.
I did hand out leaflets/flyers expressing concerns against the shelter at Old Redeemers which eventually worked in getting it closed.
Would someone like to step forward and volunteer to collect signatures outside of the meeting area?
This is an informational meeting. Please come prepared to listen. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the meeting.
The decision whether to participate will be up to individual church congregations.
To be honest nwcitizen I doubt it will fall down to the congregation. Remember last year when Our Redeemers voted on the shelter? The congregation voted overwealmingly (95%) to not have it (and so did the local residents) and the pastor (Steve Grumm) said he was going ahead with it any way. It made the whole voting system a joke.
Usually when it is suggested that the individual church is legally and financially responsible, they back down.
If churches do go along with this, I hope they COMMUNICATE openly about it to their immediate neighbors.
My parents live by Our Redeemers. When they hosted a tent city, we found out about it on the news. Nice job being neighborly Our Redeemers.
Again, rather than fill our streets with cars, vans, motor homes, tents, and any other form of shelter…the Churches should tell their Congregations to open their home’s to these people.
Why should the neighborhoods be made to deal with it? Are the cars going to be moved every 72 hours per City of Seattle Law? I doubt it! Who will be responsible for keeping the streets and lots clean, the Church, the people living in their cars, the neighboring home-owner’s? What will happen when you tell people it’s time to move on?
Open your front door, let them stay in your house, eat your food, use your bathroom, be around your family, your children, trust them in your home while you’re at work. Don’t burden the rest of us with the sight, smell, potential problems that come from this!
The proposal is for off-street parking on church property which is the prerogative of the church.
We will be presenting information and a summary of the Federal and State legislation underpinning the use to which a religious organization may put their property.
Any agreement between the church and the vehicle resident is between those two parties.
That said, churches in general are very sensitive to minimizing the impact of what they do as part of their mission on their neighbors.
If churches want to be good neighbors, they can start by voluntarily paying property taxes like the rest of us in the hood.
That being said, I have no problem with this and I hope they are successful in their mission. Just please, a little screening, okay? The drunky-yelling-joes parked in my hood can keep on trekking outta and out to the hinter lands. Of course the beer store will be a bit far…
‘The proposal is for off-street parking on church property which is the prerogative of the church. ‘
It may be their prerogative, but remember the last shelter housed the Greenwood arsonist and a level III sex offender. Often the screening by churches fails to catch these undesireables. The church must accept full responsibility and police anything they do.
Simply opening up their carparks is not enough.
The “agreement” may be between the Church and vehicle but the Church cannot put the Public at risk. The Church as an organization is not above the Municipal Laws when public safety is concerned. Will the Church take full responsibility for any problem that may occur any Law broken, any mess made? I somehow doubt it! All that will happen from this is a “Welcome” mat will be rolled out for all to come to Ballard and camp out.
I would like to sign up for a camping spot. It would be a great help if I don’t have to pay rent for the next 5 months so I can put that toward a down payment on a home next winter. Since I am out of town so much it would be optimal to live in the van while in town. Make sure I get a spot with wi-fi. Thanks.
these churches mean well, i’m sure, but don’t they realize how tired of this stuff the ballard citizens are? we really don’t want more homeless people camping out here. is that so wrong?
nwcitizen-
blah, blah, blah……
Yeah, the Hobo Crapper is back!
Or should we call it the Bum-let?
“churches in general are very sensitive to minimizing the impact of what they do as part of their mission on their neighbors.”
Ah yes, as we all remember so well with the level 3 child sex sexual predator they let stay at Redeemer’s Lutheran Church who wasn’t removed until the neighbors investigated and told the church.
it’s you whining, privileged, arrogant, intolerant, and narrow-minded hypocrites who are afraid of anyone not wearing REI or Gap and driving a Subaru who “keep Ballard friendly.”
Thanks for that.
The rape of Ballard continues.
Other possible names. Please vote and suggest your own:
The Bum Bomber
The Vagralet
The Hobolet
The Free Range Crapper
The Bumcrapper
The Malt Liquor Recycler
The Shooting-up Hut
The …..
After they the ‘Ballard Homes for All Coalition’ finds homes for all, are they going to end the laws of gravity and bring about world peace?
I understand the concern about “inviting” more homeless people to our neighborhood. We have people park and spend the night in front of our home on a regular basis. While I feel slight concern and make sure the doors are locked and turn all the outside lights on, what I mostly feel is *sad* that a brother or sister is spending the night in their car. I support programs like these that treat people in unfortunate situations with compassion. It could be any of us, someday.
“It could be any of us, someday.”
No it couldn’t. You have to burn a sh*t load of bridges to wind up on the streets. There’s a reason these folks can’t turn to friends and family.
How will the church/congregation be responsible for the actions of their homeless van/car residents when none of them are at the church 24/7?
Why is the coalition “reaching out” to churches and why only Ballard churches? This homeless problem seems to be a city-wide problem…the fact that so many have ended up in Ballard is probably due to the handouts they are getting here. Word gets around fast in the homeless community that Ballard is an easy mark.
Why not “reach out” to some churches in Magnolia or Queen Ann or even Laurelhurst?
What about “reaching out” to companies that own property with parking lots….like restaurants and office supply stores and auto repair shops? I mean, really, who should be held responsible for the homeless??? Certainly NOT the city, to which we all pay taxes for public services and programs!
It’s the addiction, not the lack of housing, that’s the issue for the majority of the campers.
A LARGE civil suit brought by folks who are the victims of any crimes committed by these “car bums” against the congregation that houses them will nip this in the bud. Unfortunately that means at least one crime and at least one victim.
They wanna play this game then fine.
Person steps on your property, call the cops and charge them with trespassing.
At the very least a few may get arrested on an outstanding warrant. Car goes off property and parks then at the 72 hour time call for a tow. Hear a peep past 10 pm. call the cops for disturbing the peace.
One of them looks at your kids weird, call the cops; they’ll really come for that as many have children.
Ballard has become a dumping ground for Seattle’s bums and it needs to stop!
“SPG // Jun 2, 2010 at 11:09 pm
It’s the addiction, not the lack of housing, that’s the issue for the majority of the campers.”
Agreed! “The Man” or “The System” or “Society” or “The Economy” did not put them on the street. They put themselves on the street.
The police don’t really do that. It’s hard to get them to show up when your car window gets smashed or someone is getting beat up. They are not going to rush out to Ballard if someone steps on your lawn, makes a peep after 10 or looks at your kid. Not to be difficult, but, they don’t arrest people for things like that.
Seriously, I’d rather see this money go to “O.D. Bags”; a little baggie filled with a drug cocktail that is sure to kill anyone who consumes it.
You’re welcome, Ballard.
Otherwise, ‘Had Enough’ makes the best points. If you’re going to get all preachy and Christian, then at least lead by example. Open your own doors to these vagrants if you pity them so. WWJD, you know?
Jon – Thank you!!!
Take a look around at all the other neighborhood blogs…the only one’s that are having issues (at least from what is showing up on the forum’s anyway) with vagrants, bums, hobos, homeless, whatever you want to call them, is BALLARD. WHY???
Here’s another FACT: during the last Hobo Village at Our Redeemers, some genius at Northbeach Elementary decided to march our kids up there for some community service without asking for Parents approval…I know I was never asked if it was ok for my child to go. This was also the camp where the Level III sex offender was granted a place to call home for awhile.
If you want to practice your Faith, fine, but don’t do it at the expense and potential safety of other’s who don’t share your beliefs. Open your homes, your driveways, your back yards to these people…don’t expose the rest of us to it.
This will only be temporary because when Compass Housing Alliance builds their 80 unit Chronic Homeless Institution with methadone treatments center (West of Kinko’s Parking Lot) and Counselors for the Mentally unstable and Sex Offenders of various levels, they will park all on 56th St and the surrounding area. Compass says they know that homeless people don’t own cars. That’s why this 80 unit, 60,000 sf, 7 story bldg will only have 11 parking stalls, but only for the workers might I add, and they will feed all on a daily basis. Do you think this will be more of a magnet! They will all converge on 56th and it’s alleys waiting for their turn to get in.
June 14th Ballard HS Library 6:30pm to voice your opinions. Remember, this facility will not house Ballard homeless, this is just injecting more into Ballard from other locations.
Thank you for the date, time and location for that meeting!!! WE DONT NEED THIS IN BALLARD! Who decided that Ballard was to become the harbor for these individuals, camps, & homes?
I think Medina or Mercer Island would be an excellent location for Compass to build a homeless shelter. That way they could be closer to the board memeber of Compass….
Oh, they cant have that! They want to feel “good” about doing something to “help out those less fortunate” but funny, they dont want it in their neighborhood’s near their kid’s schools, parks & playgrounds. They want to sit around at charity events and boast about how much they donated and the “good” that they’re doing in the community with their tax shelter charity alliance. BLEH!!!
I hope the Ballard community turns out at the meeting for the Vagrant Vehicle Village as well as the one for the 80 unit, 60,000sf, 7 story tower of cardboard, Homeless Hotel and actually speak-up against them both of them!
Really? I love how everyone assumes that if you are homeless, you are a criminal. You know what’s criminal, that there aren’t enough services available for addicts, health care for all, love and compassion for your fellow human. It makes me sick to think that even churches could lend out a helping hand. Let us not forget that it was Mars Hill who pushed these car campers out of their industrial neighborhood and into the residential areas. I hope they pledge to take on 10 car campers. I’m sure they can afford it. Lets give the christians a chance to not be hypocrites, to love the poor. And sadly, it doesn’t take the burning of all your bridges to end up homeless, all it really takes is living far away from your family, a horrible a economy and predator lending. If we don’t have compassion for people NOW, we never will. Did anyone think that if you don’t treat the homeless like lepers, they might feel more like part of our community and less likely to be a “blight”? The ignorance in this forum makes me sick.
” living far away from your family, a horrible a economy and predator lending”
Sure that will make you homeless, but we’re talking about bums here and to be a bum it takes none of that. All it takes is a love of malt liquor, dope and an unwillingness to follow society’s rules.
The friendlier we make Ballard to the homeless, the more homeless will show up in Ballard. Please be vocal and stop Ballard from becoming the dumping ground for all of Seattle’s homeless issues. Do you want to support the homeless instead of keeping your streets safe and kids out of harm? This is why you don’t see this problem in neighborhoods with higher proportions of residents who are owners vs. renters. This has nothing do do with religion. It has everything to do with our rights, taxes and what we are willing to tolerate as a community.
Having compassion and being sympathetic is what led Ballard to become the “new world” for the homeless and car campers. Ive lived here my entire life and it has never been this bad. Again , why is it Ballard? Look at the other forums; Wallingford, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Fremont, Maple Leaf, Greenwood…there is no mention of the vagrant problem in any of those neighborhoods…becaus they’re all in Ballard. Those that want help typically seek help, the individuals in Ballard aren’t seeking help…they dont want it. They want to mooch of society and wait for hand-outs rather than get of their arse and better their lives.
“Blight?” Blight is completely accurate. Do you enjoy seeing people passed out in the park near the library? Do you enjoy walking past the library with a group sitting on the benches smelling of alcohol and urine? Do you enjoy constantly being asked for change? Do you want another Level III sex offender squatting in a camp in the Church parking lot next to your house again? Do you want your home/business burnt to the ground because an arsonist is being allowed to camp out in Ballard? Do you enjoy witnessing the resident drug dealer peddle his poison out of his van on 57th?
I FOR ONE DONT!
The city has been trying to save the cruise/tourist industry downtown, which the Seattle Times said brings in about 20-30 million every season to the local economy (Check Google news for past stories). This is why the police are clearing them out. Otherwise, without tourist dollars, Seattle will become another city on the brink of bankruptcy which is happening nationwide. The mayor pretty much has no choice, if we are to avoid becoming the next California, totally broke. Downtown, Pike Place, Pioneer Square etc. are great these days, but there is a price to pay for us. Police patrols everywhere too. It’s not going to get better here, only much worse, so lets make the best of it and try not to be cruel to the homeless as we go along. If there was a way to have them police themselves and do SOMETHING to contribute to the community, that would be the next step. The public drunkeness is out of control with no help from the police. The “bums” as you call them are coming, not leaving. Not every homeless person is useless and irresponsible, though. Again, it comes down to tourist dollars and cruise industry revenue that we need as a city, or we will have even less police than we do now and higher property taxes to offset the revenue loss. Looks like we adapt, or plan on moving to other neighborhoods like the ones you listed. Sad reality, but no sense trying to wish it all away. It’s not going back to the way it was here. Calling the police every five minutes solves nothing, when they seem to be the ones who pushed them here in the first place.
Name-
That is a typical Seattle/Ballard Bleeding Heart answer. ..”there’s nothing we can do, so we may as well just accept it.” NO! We dont have to accept it at all and I should not be forced to move from where I have lived my entire life.
AJKBallard let’s leave the decisions upto the residents who it will effect. I would not be allowed to house campers on my property without permission from the city. Churches should have to follow the same rules as residential properties if they are in a residential area. There should not be any different laws or loopholes allowing something different.
Really everyone within a five blocks should have a say, and if members of the individual church congregation don’t live within that 5 blocks they should be excluded from the vote.
If you have a solution, speak up. Seems that the people of Ballard have tried every possible way through the system and outside the system to solve it and nothing works. I never said I liked it, but at some point the neigborhood gets to the point of no return and you have to decide to stay or go. For your own happiness in life. It’s just about at that point for most thinking people. Who needs the stress? It’s only a matter of time before this all starts crashing the property values here. Then, people will really start running for the exits.
This program would help get these much-whined-about campers OFF the streets. Did you read the post? The campers will have a safe place to park, which will alleviate “problems” (if these exist, besides the alleged trash-leaving/asking-for-electricity event that no doubt was HORRIFYING FOR BALLARD’S CHILDREN!) associated with campers parking on residential streets.
Sigh.
What will happen is you will have the churches full of campers AND new campers in the streets where the old ones were! ‘If you build it they will come!’
Statistics in othere states have shown that when a methadone clinic is opened in an area, drug use increases as more addicts head towards the clinics.
After reading all of these posts I am not sure that it is the homeless that is making Ballard undesirable. It’s kind of sad.
” The campers will have a safe place to park, which will alleviate “problems”
No it won’t, it will mean more campers will come to Ballard hoping to get a freebie.
How about you feed the pigeons in YOUR house so they crap in/on YOUR house and not mine?
“After reading all of these posts I am not sure that it is the homeless that is making Ballard undesirable. ”
yeah right, like everyone will want to move to Ballard once it turns into a giant homeless camp. That will be great for property values and business….you know, those things that contribute to the tax base so we can ALL live in a decent neighborhood.
Then why aren’t those who contribute to the tax base screaming at the City and County and State for slashing services and housing or screaming to make the well off pay their share of taxes? Because it is easier to beat up on the drunk on the sidewalk instead of offering real solutions to the problem or going after those who contribute to the problem. I would like to see you get stripped of everything and then be told to become an outstanding citizen and, oh by the way, do it with nothing, no where to go, no where to clean up, no where to sleep. Oh, and get a job, and while you are at it we will call you every name in the book to make sure that you realize that you are nothing but scum of the earth. Good luck. It must be so nice to be one of the chosen ones.
Donna – do you own a home here in Ballard?
Or are you one of the throngs of people that live in Ballard for a few years to be alternative then raise their kids in Queen Anne, Magnolia or Kirkland?
If you need to know, I do own a home and my kids go to neighborhood schools including Ballard High. Not that that should have anything to do with this. I have also had background checks done so you don’t have to worry about me being some low life, sexual predator that lives in your neighborhood. The point is that everyone says they have tried everything to help with solutions and that simply is not true. What is true it that they have tried everything to keep it out of their neighborhood. Property values are more important to some than human life. None of us are perfect and we all have skeletons in the closet. We are just able to hide them behind closed doors. Most of this is just plain mean and hateful and doesn’t help solve anything. No one asks the City what the City can do to help solve this. It’ about what the City can do to keep it out of their neighborhood. There is a difference. Homelessness is all over this City and Ballard is not an exception or special or deals with it more than others. Most on this blog have no idea what is going and don’t really care to know.
Thus these endless circular conversations.
Maybe because there’s no cure for laziness and poor choices?
Or people with closed minds?
I’m sure the drunk bum who beat up the transgender person at the bus stop on 15th and Market (and then staggered down to the 14th Ave pea patch to pass out) will appreciate having a nice place to take a shower with all his buddies. This creep was booked 36 times since 2004.
THIS is exactly what Ballard should expect when you roll out the welcome mat for vagrants.
“Or people with closed minds?”
What, like drunk bums who beat up cross dressers?
I have still not see a reason from those that are willing to roll out the “welcome mat” give a reason as to “WHY BALLARD?” Ballard has always had a few homeless individuals migrating from park to park not really bothering anyone and keeping to themselves…eventually moving on to another neighborhood, but the numbers have grown over the recent year alone and they’re staying here. These are not you “down on their luck” people either, they are habitual vagrants who dont want help. I would venture a guess that most have a criminal record too, much like the one who beat up the transgendered woman.
Help the vagrants, the homeless, the hobos, the shelter challenged, whatever you prefer to call them but dont ask me to welcome it into my neighborhood and potentially put my family at risk. All you supporters dont care to comment on the fact that the last tent city at Our Redeemers housed a sex offender and an arsonist. Back ground check’s? Yeah right. Open you front door to these people…again no supporter of the vagrant vehicle village is willing to say “OK” to that either. Why? Because behind closed doors when your friend’s can’t hear you and your phony image doesn’t have to be kept up…You don’t want them in this neighborhood either. You wouldn’t dare expose your family to a potential danger in the security of your nice dry, warm home. Stop forcing your religious belief system on people who dont want it, stop persecuting those of us who want our neighborhoods kept clean and safe.
I went to this meeting and didn’t see any of the blowhard anti folk present. I did see a lot of people with very good intentions trying to do something to solve the problem.
It is easy to pop off spewing bile on a blog hiding behind cute names like Barfly, Had Enough, Your Fed up Neighbor, Bark More Wag Less, LiberalQuietScan, but quite a bit different to have the courage to state your opinions in public using your real name. Would you be willing to state your real name in public engagement process? Not likely, because you prefer to whine anonymously.
I have every intention of being at the meeting at Ballard HS Library on June 14th at 630pm. I have a life with commitments & responsibilities that comes first, and that is the only reason I was not at the meeting tonight. I would use my real name, however I wont have my family persecuted for my opinion. i have lived in Ballard for a long time as has my family and I wont have them judged on my beliefs. You will know its me too andI will have friends with me that feel exactly the same way! BTW…using only a first name is still hidding on a blog…when you point the finger, there are three pointing right back at you!
I was one of the presenters at the meeting tonight and there were no attendees who voiced any of the fears or complaints that appear above. There will be another planning on June 17 at Crown Hill Methodist at 7 PM. Please come and learn what is really being proposed. If you can’t come, ask a friend or family member or neighbor to come. We want to meet you and address your concerns but we can’t do that on a blog.
Sally, let us know which church you’re going to do this at…..then you’ll get an earful. Right now we have no idea where you’re going to dump this thing.
Liberal Quietscan, Bark More Wag Less, Shane Dillon, Had Enough, Barfly, Your Fed Up Neighbor, Atlas and the many others who truly feel that Ballard is at risk as I do, must please attend the meeting at Ballard High School on June 14th at 6:30pm. We need your voices be heard against Compass Alliance who has plans to relocate their tenants out of Pioneer Square and move them to Ballard. Compass Executive Director had admitted that this is their plan and now they are trying to deny it. Executive Director has also formed and chairs the Street Civility Subcommittee and a Committee member of Pioneer Square Economic Development Council. Interesting to know now what he said that he is relocating Compass Seattle to Ballard is actually in his plans. Remember, these tenants of Compass have already been processed by the City or State and receive DSHS or other financial support and are the ones who they want in Compass Ballard and not the homeless of Ballard. Why? $$$ They need revenue. The vagrants you see now, you will still see after this is built! It’s just going to bring more sex offenders and mentally ill into Ballard. Also Compass will cook and feed these vagrants who visit, and remember the May 3rd article where Compass admitted visiting hours are 9:00am to 10:00 pm and limited to 2 visitors per unit. You know the rush is on at 9:00pm to sneak in. If not they will all hang around the alley until the morning when the doors open again.
PLEASE, PLEASE WE MUST BE HEARD
June 14, Ballard HS 6:30pm….
Guest – I have every intention of being there, with friend’s who oppose the Compass Building, as well as the Vagrant Vehicle Village…we will be present at that next meeting too.
Sally – Yes, please tell us which Church lot your group plans to use.
Another name for the toilet?
The Vagabog
Incredible.
Many of the comments posted here are grounded in an absolute ignorance of who the homeless really are.Does anyone realize that most of the homeless work full or part-time jobs? Go to the temporary labor halls in Seattle and you’ll see hundreds of homeless hoping for an honest days work.
I’ve been homeless for 4 years and finally sved enough for a conversion van that is now my home. During that 4 years, I’ve worked almost 10,ooo hours on construction projects (fully 2 years on 2 projects building units on Leary Way that I will never be able to afford) After child support, there is simply not enough left to afford an apartment.
The guys on which some of you are basing your views (Oh! I see them too! are simply very unlikely to own a vehicle. Generally, when someone drives to a spot and parks, he is a hard-working American, struggling a bit and seldom complaining.
The fellow panhandling in rags represents homelessness only in the eyes of those who cannot see.
the homeless problem in part is a result of no housing can be afforded. in 1978 you could rent a apartment for 135 dollars. the rental aggreement was 1 page. show an id and have your 135 dollars in hand and move in 20 minutes later. there were jobs for those who wanted to work. lots that paid enough in 1 week to move in to your own place.