Ravenna / Green Lake area becoming infested with bums (Seattle: homes, neighborhoods)

[chateuaheartiste]

The middle of NE Ravenna Blvd is becoming tent city. At the beginning of the year a bum pitched a tent under I-5. Now there are about 10 tents that have been pitched there. The grass sections of Ravenna to the east of there are now becoming populated with tents.

Green Lake itself is becoming a camping ground. I see tents under the large trees.

It's time to take our city back.

I'm sure you've seen signs that say "Stop the Sweeps!" If local law enforcement really has been sweeping up encampments, I'd like to know how I can donate to this effort.

https://www.facebook.com/STSSeattle/

[thatguy950]

We definitely need to stop the sweeps...and replace brooms with fire hoses

[chateuaheartiste]

Originally Posted by thatguy950

We definitely need to stop the sweeps...and replace brooms with fire hoses

[Praline]

I actually agree and I was just saying this yesterday! Cold water hoses turned on each morning on all illegal tent structures, especially in downtown Seattle. You don't even feel safe walking around during the afternoon hours because of all the flea-ridden, mentally ill drug addicts and alcoholics. The homeless situation is deplorable but working people would like to enjoy their cities too and after all, they are taxpaying citizens who fund them.

[cttransplant85]

Just wait until the city makes their massive investment in homes for them. Every homeless person in the country will be flooding into Seattle.

[Ruth4Truth]

Uh-oh! We've been recommending Greenlake and Ravenna to some families and individuals moving into the area. This doesn't sound good, at all! There have been homeless living in Ravenna for decades, btw, but they were very few, before, and weren't visible during the day. (None had tents, back in those days.)

I wonder; do police patrol those encampment areas regularly? Seems like potential safety issues waiting to happen. Does anyone take walks or jogs through the park anymore?

[Hemlock140]

When there were visible rats and blocked sidewalks I reported one of the Belltown encampments, and within a week it was cleared out and fenced (under the southbound entrance to 99). If enough people complain I think it probably helps to get many complaints from the public to the Navigation team via the Customer Service Form..

There are specific rules, which were met in the case I reported, if they are met the City will take action..

https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/De...rule-17-01.pdf

Request a City Service - Customer Service Bureau | seattle.gov

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

When there were visible rats and blocked sidewalks I reported one of the Belltown encampments, and within a week it was cleared out and fenced (under the southbound entrance to 99). If enough people complain I think it probably helps to get many complaints from the public to the Navigation team via the Customer Service Form..

There are specific rules, which were met in the case I reported, if they are met the City will take action..

https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/De...rule-17-01.pdf

Request a City Service - Customer Service Bureau | seattle.gov

Interesting. I hope Ravenna and Greenlake residents don't have to wait until rats have infested their beautiful neighborhoods, before the City will take action.

Encampments must either present a "hazard" or an "obstruction" in order to be deemed actionable. Here's the definition of "Obstruction", from the first link:

“Obstruction” means people, tents, personal property, garbage, debris or other objects related to an encampment that: are in a City park or on a public sidewalk; interfere with the pedestrian or transportation purposes of public rights-of-way; or interfere with areas that are necessary for or essential to the intended use of a public property or facility.

. In other words, simply being located in a park can be considered an "obstruction", as an interference with the public enjoyment of the park, it sounds like.

This is a sad state of affairs. There needs to be a national homelessness Czar, with branch offices in major cities, to work on this problem and figure out a solution. They can't all be substance abuse addicts. This must relate in part to economic issues, especially in high COL areas like Seattle and the Bay Area.

[rkcarguy]

Nationwide, the US is falling far short of dealing with it's mentally ill. At the same time, we have a pretty good "safety net" for those that stay clean and aren't violent and/or criminal, therefore, what you see on the street is the mentally ill, drunks, and druggies, and the criminal element that goes with it. Sadly, providing more perks for them is just going to draw more of them to the area, and there will be more problems from drugs to theft to assault to poop and needles littering the streets and parks. I'm pretty positive other cities are happy as clams to give their "problems" one way greyhound tickets to the land of golden handout opportunities, Seattle.

[peequi]

Cities like Seattle, Portland, Denver, etc tend to follow a cultural and political trend setup in CA. If you are interested in seeing what the future lies in homelessness in Seattle, look to our friends in CA, specifically LA city.

Go to YouTube and search for LA city homelessness clips, made by regular folks not the local news.