Parents push back on county's handling of homeless camp near Wallingford school

Parents push back on handling of homeless camp near a school

Parents are sounding off on the King County Regional Homeless Authority as the timelines to clear a Ship Canal homeless encampment near a school is unclear.

SEATTLE - On back-to-back Thursdays, board members of the King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) listened to sharp rebukes from frustrated John Stanford International Elementary School parents regarding nearby encampments.

"You are failing at your job," said Don Mackenzie, one of the parents. "You are failing me. My family. Our neighborhood and the very people you are charged with helping."

"There’s been other gun incidents," said Joe Silver, referencing a deadly shooting late last month. "What are we waiting for?"

The complaints come as KCRHA is requesting a 5-year budget in the range of $11 billion.

While the meeting was underway contractors working with WSDOT were on the ground repairing fencing, and setting up additional blockages to shrink the site. According to WSDOT Communications Director Kris Rietmann, they’re trying to stop people from re-inhabiting areas that have been abandoned and cleaned up.

WSDOT is one of several groups involved in Washington’s new "Right of Way Safety Initiative" that addresses homeless encampments on state roadway property.

"Ultimately, the goal is to get those folks into good housing options so we can resolve this site as a whole," said Rietmann.

One of the hold-ups is a lack of permanent housing. Marc Dones, the CEO of KCRHA, told board members that their budget proviso restricts their ability to clear sites without permanent housing.

A board member noted that roughly 20% of shelter beds in King County are unused, though Dones said those shelter beds wouldn’t meet the criteria.

Proposed bill would prohibit homeless encampments near schools

Lawmakers want to prohibit camps within 1,000 feet of schools.

WSDOT explained the strategy in a recent letter to school parents, writing that when shelters aren’t a good match people hold out for options that meet their needs – which means they remain outdoors longer and simply spread into neighborhoods and start the process over again.

"The housing offered must be a ‘meaningful improvement over the individual’s current living situation’ and ‘well-matched to an individual’s needs,’" the WSDOT letter explained.

According to WSDOT, of the 287 people who transitioned off other sites that have been part of the state’s right-of-way initiative, 93% remained in housing.

As for the KCRHA budget, it’s unclear what changes will be made before it’s finalized in April.

At the most recent meeting, initial reaction from 600+ public responses were discussed. The biggest concerns highlighted included: mental health services and cost.

Board members also raised concerns over oversight, and the need for an independent ombudsman’s office.