(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced her intention to expedite the expansion of emergency shelter after postponing a scheduled removal of a homeless encampment in the Ballard neighborhood.
The encampment had been scheduled for removal – often referred to as a sweep – on Wednesday, but Wilson extended the deadline a day earlier.
“I decided to extend the deadline for this site to allow more time to assess whether we can improve outcomes for the people living there, for their neighbors, and for local businesses,” Wilson said in a statement after visiting the site.
Wilson said her administration will soon announce steps to accelerate the expansion of emergency shelter and open new shelter space.
“Meaningful progress on homelessness means finding solutions that bring more people inside, instead of moving them from place to place,” she said.
Despite emphasizing a continued Housing First approach, Wilson acknowledged that the city must maintain clean and accessible sidewalks and public spaces, which may sometimes require clearing encampments if no better option is available.
Future 42 Snohomish County Director Nate Nehring, an advocate of the Treatment First approach, criticized the decision and argued that failing to remove unlawful encampments undermines homelessness response efforts.
“The goal ought to be to get individuals struggling with homelessness and addiction out of these dangerous encampments and off the street so that they can begin the process of recovery,” Nehring emailed The Center Square. “By leaving these unlawful encampments in place, Mayor Wilson is signaling that the City of Seattle will enable the dangerous environments which lead to continued substance abuse and overdose deaths.”
Gregg Colburn, a University of Washington professor and author of “Homelessness is a Housing Problem,” said the debate should focus less on whether encampment removals occur and more on how they are conducted.
Colburn pointed The Center Square to the University of California San Francisco for further resources on the matter. The university’s school of medicine published a 2022 study on the health impacts of encampment removals. The study found that street sweeps may lead to material loss, including medical items, and instability.
The study argues that sweeps may contribute to less effective management of chronic health conditions, substance use disorders, and worsening mental and physical health. Providers also report that sweeps may impact healthcare systems by promoting increased usage of emergency department services.
During her mayoral campaign, Wilson criticized former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s use of encampment sweeps as part of the city’s homelessness response.
Harrell launched the Seattle Unified Care Team, a coordinating hub for city departments and partner agencies like the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to ensure public spaces, sidewalks and streets remain safe and accessible to all.
The team is responsible for encampment and RV removals, enforcing the city’s 72-hour parking policy, cleaning public spaces, and offering shelter referrals to homeless residents.
