Seattle Sweeps Ballard Homeless Camp, Citing Health Risks

SEATTLE, WA — A homeless encampment in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood was removed by the city Monday morning, with officials citing "immediate and ongoing risks" to public health.

In early March, the Seattle Human Services Department announced most homeless sweeps would be paused during the coronavirus crisis, limiting removals to cases only to those which present "an extraordinary public safety hazard."

City officials said Monday's sweep met the criteria, due to a recent cluster of hepatitis A cases in Ballard, accumulating waste and a growing number of people living close together.

"Weeks of ongoing outreach and focused efforts to bring public health resources to the area ultimately did not reduce the public health and safety concerns," the city wrote. "The city focused nearly all outreach efforts citywide to the Ballard Commons area to move people out of unsafe outdoor living conditions into safer indoor spaces that allow for better social distancing, 24/7 access to showers, restrooms and supportive services."

The city said 95 shelter beds were made available to the navigation team in mid-April. The team has visited the Ballard camp 29 times since March, and 19 people accepted offers for shelter in the last week, according to a news release.

Notice of the sweep was posted at the camp on Saturday.

According to the city, 15 people remained at the encampment when the sweep began Monday morning, and officials said each person was offered available shelter space.

"Specifically, there were two beds available at the Navigation Center, one tiny house at Lake Union Village, and nine spaces available at Lakefront Community House," the city wrote. "The team also had access to shelter beds at Exhibition Hall."

Despite efforts to expand shelter capacity in Seattle and King County, homeless advocates have said more needs to be done to get people off the streets and into a safe environment during the public health crisis. The annual point-in-time count recorded nearly 11,200 people living homeless in King County in 2019.

Since the coronavirus arrived in the Seattle region, the navigation team has distributed more than 2,200 hygiene kits and 352 meals to people experiencing homelessness, according to the city. The Seattle Public Library recently reopened restrooms at five locations to provide hygienic options for people living unsheltered.