Growing Seattle encampment unmoved despite public drug use, safety concerns

SEATTLE — A growing encampment on a Seattle thoroughfare will not be removed by the city anytime soon, despite admissions from residents of fentanyl use on the public sidewalk that connects Seattle Center and South Lake Union.

Brian Evans said he moved to the strip on Harrison Street about a month ago, with the intention of being seen by outreach workers. Evans, who said he’s been homeless for a decade, claimed it would give him a better chance of getting services, treatment, and housing.

“We are the ones that got skipped over. We're the ones that haven't gotten housing,” Evans said Monday afternoon. "When you're hidden, you can't get any kind of help. We’re tired of it, we're tired of hearing about all these millions of dollars and all these programs.”

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Evans said he’s not responsible for the other tents that have followed. A construction worker walked by a KOMO News crew on Monday to say that as the tents have grown, so have the thefts from a nearby job site. Multiple people were seen walking in and out of the tents within a short amount of time.

“We still have it a permissive environment,” said Seattle Council Member Bob Kettle, who was elected on a promise of fixing public safety, and whose district includes the campsite. He told KOMO News he’s aware of the issue and has been in touch with the Unified Care Team (UCT) about a remedy.

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“Encampments at one point become a danger, it becomes a drug market becomes a stolen goods market, we have to engage with these folks with compassion, do the right thing in terms of finding alternate places,” Kettle told KOMO News.

Evans, who also goes by the name Bama, said Kettle’s concerns are legitimate. He told KOMO News that he’s using fentanyl.

“I only need a small amount to get through my day and I have plans to quit in the real near future,” Evans said. “If I could get in an apartment, I could get a job, I have a driver's license, I would be able to keep myself clean and shaved and make myself presentable. It would change my whole life. If I could get an apartment. Even a tiny home would at least put me indoors,” he said, while also claiming the city has never given him that opportunity.

That is disputed by the UCT, which also said it is monitoring the situation. The property in question is owned by the state on the top part of the Highway 99 tunnel, but WSDOT said Monday it has a maintenance agreement with the City of Seattle.

Callie Craighead, spokesperson for the UCT and the Seattle Mayor’s Office, said in a statement"

The Unified Care Team is aware of this site and is actively monitoring the location and providing trash mitigation. Outreach has been engaged at the site to help connect individuals to services and assess shelter/housing needs. No resolution of this site has been scheduled based on current prioritization scoring; however, UCT will continue to monitor the situation for changing conditions and coordination with law enforcement as needed. Residents are encouraged to report immediate public safety concerns by calling 9-1-1.

Evans said he plans on being here until he gets a housing offer