Ballard homeless camp will soon move to Northlake

The homeless camp in Ballard (2826 NW Market St) is set to move to Northlake soon, as their two-year permit is going to expire on November 18.

From the Homelessness Response Blog:

“…the City has been working since June to find a suitable relocation for the existing encampment, however finding available space has proven difficult. With the input of the operator, advocates, local businesses, faith communities, and encampment residents, the City’s Homelessness Emergency Response team has identified an appropriate location at 3814 Fourth Ave. NE in the Northlake neighborhood.

The Northlake property is owned by Seattle City Light (SCL), which agreed for the site to be used as a temporary encampment for one-to-two years prior to planned development for SCL future use. The Northlake site meets land use code requirements and is approximately 20 percent larger than the existing Ballard site to accommodate more people. The site is near King County Metro routes and will have electricity, sewer, and water services. The encampment will remain clean-and-sober and will continue to offer unsheltered people the help they need to find permanent housing.”

The city plans to have the Northlake site ready by the Ballard camp expiration date, and residents will be allowed to stay at the Ballard site until the new location is ready. There will be a public meeting with city representatives in early November for Ballard residents’ and business owners’ questions.

The City of Seattle Homelessness Emergency Response team will also be moving the Interbay encampment. Both the Ballard and Interbay camps were created in 2015, and both permits are expiring. The Interbay camp will shift to a new location nearby at the Port of Seattle’s vacant property at 1601 15th Ave W by mid-November.

It’s unclear yet what will become of the property when the camp moves, but we’ll update with new information.