SEATTLE — As the lease for Tent City 4 at the Seattle Mennonite Church in Lake City expires, over 100 residents of the city-sanctioned homeless encampment have found a temporary new home at the Lake City Community Center.
The move comes after the encampment received a short-term lease of one to six months, allowing them to relocate just a few blocks away.
Justin Fain, a member of the executive committee and resident at Tent City 4, described the relief and excitement among the residents.
“We took a second to jump for joy, and chairs started flying over, people were running out of the room, and told the whole camp we were all screaming up and down, it was quite amazing,” he said.
In a statement, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the Human Services Department was directed to offer SHARE/WHEEL, the nonprofit administering the site, a short-term lease until a more suitable location can be found.
Residents expressed their gratitude for having a place to stay, with Fain noting, “Everyone was so stressed they weren’t thinking about planning for tomorrow they were planning for the moment and now they’re really thinking about what can we do, we’re settling down we have the library across the street we can use and the church across the road that gives out free meals.”
The relocation comes after the Regional Homelessness Authority initially announced it would not approve the site following community feedback and other considerations. Despite this, residents were prepared to move from the church regardless.
A.V. Royal, another executive committee member and resident, emphasized their commitment to honoring their lease agreement.
“You can see we’re tearing down camp, we’re still planning on moving because SHARE is all about keeping our word. We had our lease here our lease is coming up, we’re leaving,” Royal said. The city plans to collaborate with regional stakeholders to identify a more permanent location for Tent City 4 and its one-year lease. Meanwhile, residents like Fain are determined to remain in Lake City.
“We have a home, and that is Lake City, so we’ll stay here no matter what the plan is, but I’m sure there will be somewhere else,” he said.
