Last week’s edition of Real Change featured a special report on the two-year anniversary of Nickelsville, an encampment of homeless people who’ve put down stakes on city-owned land in West Seattle. While camp residents battle the elements and an infestation of rats, neighbors say it’s time for Nickelsville to move on. But what do the candidates for mayor say? For this week’s edition, assistant editor Rosette Royale and reporter Aaron Burkhalter asked the candidates, “If you’re elected mayor, what would you do about Nickelsville?”
Tim Burgess
I don’t think that encampments are the answer to homelessness. I think we can be much more creative. We can be much more thorough in our Housing First program. But having people sleeping outdoors in tents is not a solution. I think we would have to find an alternative that was more appropriate so that people could be on a path to permanent housing.
Bruce Harrell
[No response]
Kate Martin
When I look at trying to break up the problem into pieces, I think that we do need to solve the problem of not having enough day centers for people that don’t have any place that they can be. I want to think about ways to provide that. I personally do not think that Nickelsville is a viable solution. It’s upsetting to me thinking of people living that way, and I think we can do better. My platform is really oriented toward systemic solutions instead of treating symptoms. Some of the things that really have to be solved are not just shelter beds but I think day centers are a more important piece of it. If we provided a useful place for people to be during the day to help them take steps to get out of homelessness, that would seem to be a more productive direction.
Mary Martin
I’ve had coworkers who were homeless. They were people who at one time had houses, but one thing or another, with capitalism, pushed them under. … We call for releasing the housing stocks. There are so many housing rentals that are being held back. The second thing that goes with this is we call for a massive federally funded jobs program, so we can move where we need to move — as much as you can under capitalism. So this is our answer and solution to the problem. If we’re elected, we don’t promise anything but the fight.
Mike McGinn
I support finding ways to support tent encampments as a form of temporary shelter. I am working closely with Councilmembers Licata and O’Brien on paths forward for the residents of Nickelsville. And I look forward to making an announcement on these different options soon. (Written statement)
Ed Murray
The first issue is the contentious relationship between the council and the mayor. These are all progressive people interested in ending homelessness. I think I know how to get people to come together on an agreement on this. We need a process about how we’re going to make decisions about the physical location but also about how we’re going to build relationships in the region and the state. … This is a Democrat [McGinn] fighting among Democrats. I believe this council could reach an agreement with a different mayor in pretty short order. This is progressives in Seattle fighting amongst progressives. Seattle should be modeling how you deal with homelessness and tent cities for the rest of the state. We should be the gold standard that the rest of the state looks at for solving these problems instead of liberals fighting against liberals.
Peter Steinbrueck
My first priority is to work to expand shelter in the city and the county. I can’t rest or sleep easily until we’ve made a significant increase in housing. But I don’t think shelter is a long-term answer. I think we need to update the Ten-Year Plan: The goals are good, but from time to time, we need to reassess our efforts, funding needs and priorities. I see these things as interrelated. Reducing poverty and homelessness on the front end, and allowing adults, single adults, families and children somewhere safe to live. … This, for me, is what a humane city needs to do for those who have not shared in the prosperity.
Charlie Staadecker
These are Seattle citizens that deserve a chance at a better future. The first priority: health and safety, so we can find a building, one that the city controls, that perhaps is underutilized, that has a roof, that is a structure that allows one to get in from inclement whether, one that has a shower and clean water and cooking facilities and a place to wash their clothes. … One thing I think would be very interesting is to educate the public. Hope starts with a sense that people care, and there’s some self-dignity.