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Tent City 3
Tent City 3
Tent City 3 is a homeless encampment in and around the City of Seattle, Washington. Started in 2000 by SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort) and WHEEL (Women's Housing Equality Enhancment League), the camp offers basic simple shelter (tents) for up to around 100 homeless men, women, and children.
Tent City 3's reason for existence is, ostensibly, survival.[1]
Some critics have stated that Tent City 3 exists as a political stunt to attract attention.[2]
History
Tent City 3 started in March, 2000, on private land on Martin Luther King Way (land owned by VN King).
The first few years of Tent City 3's existence were surrounded by controversy. The encampment moved many times in the first two years, but the length of their stays at particular churches grew to several months within several years.
In 2001, the City of Seattle, SHARE, and El Centro de la Raza became embroiled in a dispute over permitting. In September, 2001, a Superior Court Judge ruled that the City's denial of a permit to the encampment was not supported by the evidence.
On March 13, 2002, the City of Seattle, El Centro de la Raza, and SHARE signed a settlement agreement, called by the residents of the encampment "the Consent Decree."[3][4][5][6]
The Consent Decree
CITY OF SEATTLE CONSENT DECREE AGREEMENT WITH TENT CITY3
On March 13 th 2002 SHARE/WHEEL and the Seattle City Attorney’s Office signed a settlement agreement entailing that the City no longer prosecute churches and social-service agencies who host Tent City3, and that Tent City3 agree to numerous conditions on how the encampment will be run.
Background: While Tent City3 was hosted at El Centro in spring 2001 they applied for a six-month Temporary Use Permit. After a 4-month review period the Department of Construction and Land Use (DCLU) denied the permit application. Four months later, the City Hearing Examiner ruled that although Tent City was not materially detrimental to persons or property, it was not “in the spirit of the Land Use
Code”. SHARE/WHEEL then appealed to King County Superior Court. Meanwhile $14,000+ in fines were levied against El Centro de la Raza during Tent City3’s 6-month stay there.
In March 2001 Tent City3 had moved to Trinity Lutheran Church in Ballard, and the Department of Construction and Land Use (DCLU) issued a Notice of Violation, demanding that the church evict the
encampment within two weeks. After the Church publicly refused to do this, more than 300 citizens contacted the Mayor's Office to protest the City's action. The Mayor's Office then promised not to fine
Trinity, and indicated they would not act to fine a church for hosting Tent City again.
On September 27 th 2001, Judge Thomas Jefferson Majhan ruled that DCLU’s permit denial for Tent City3 was “not supported by the evidence”. After the ruling, the fines against El Centro de le Raza were
dismissed.[7][8][9]
In 2011, Seattle proposed a bill that would not require encampments to move as often.[11]
TC-3's Site History
March 31, 2000: On March 31 st 2000 First Things First held a rally in front of the Municipal Building advocating for A Roof Over Every Bed: shelter for everyone, an increase in affordable housing, and services with dignity. Following this rally SHARE/WHEEL set up a Tent City on vacant land owned by King Vn, Inc., at Martin Luther King Way South and Charleston, in south Seattle. The neighbors and the landowners had not been notified ahead of time but were notified within hours of the camp’s arrival. The property was owned by a group of businessmen who, after seeing that the campers were cleaning up the area, removing brambles, and patrolling for undesirable behavior in the underbrush, expressed willingness to have Tent City stay there indefinitely.[12]
El Centro de la Raza invited Tent City 3 to their parking lot on July 16 th 2000, and in August, El Centro extended its invitation to January 16, 2001. A six-month Temporary Use Permit was applied for, and in the public comment period DCLU received over 370 letters supporting the camp and only 18 against.[13] This resulted in a court battle (discussed above), resulting in a Consent Decree.[14]
Unfortunately, it is difficult to trace all the sites where Tent City 3 stayed. However, some lists are available by time period.
October 2014 - December 2014 -- Ravenna site: 6307 8th Ave NE [58][59]
December 2014 - March 2015 -- Seattle Pacific University [60][61][62]
March 2015 - June 2015 -- Shoreline Free Methodist [63]
June 2015 - September, 2015 -- St. Dunstan's Episcopal [64][65][66][67]
September 2015 - December 2015 -- Bryn Mawr UMC [68]
December 2015 - March 2016 -- Riverton Park UMC
Code of Conduct
Tent City 3 uses this Code of Conduct; it is published by them at every neighborhood notification meeting before the Tent City moves in.[69]
SHARE/WHEEL Tent City III Code of Conduct
We the people of SHARE/WHEEL in order to keep a more harmonious community ask that you observe the following code of conduct:
SHARE/WHEEL's Tent City is a drug and alcohol free zone. Those caught drinking or using drugs will be asked to leave.
Sobriety is required.
No weapons are allowed.
Knives over 3 1/2 inches must be checked in.
Any violence will not be tolerated.
Please attempt to resolve any conflict in a creative peaceful manner.
Degrading, ethnic, sexist or homophobic remarks are not acceptable.
No physical punishment, verbal abuse or intimidation will be tolerated.
We are a community.
Please respect the rights and privacy of your fellow citizens.
No men in the women's tents.
No women in the men's tents.
No open flames.
No loitering or disturbing the neighbors.
No trespassing.
Attendance of at least once of the several community meetings held throughout the week is required; days and times will be posted so that you may work it into your schedule.
If these rules are not enforced and respected, tent city might be permanently closed.
Controversy
Tent City 3 in Popular Culture
In an opinion article, Tent City 3 is compared favorably with Seattle's government[70].
And a picture of Tent City 3 made picture of the year at Time Magazine. [71]