Camp Second Chance updates, as new managers meet with Community Action Committee for the first time

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

West Seattle’s only tiny-house encampment is under new management. Camp Second Chance is still operated by LIHI, which has the contract to run it on city-owned land at 9701 Myers Way South, but in recent months, its on-site managers have changed. The new managers met with the CSC Community Advisory Committee for the first time this past Tuesday night. The online meeting was the first in a few months because of logistics challenges that resulted in previous cancellations.

The new managers who talked with committee members are Daniel Weiss, the LIHI program manager accountable for four tiny-house encampments including CSC, on-site manager Michelle Yellow Robe, and case manager Ashley Freeman.

Currently, the site has 64 tiny houses, six of which are empty and undergoing maintenance, and 65 people, including some couples sharing a tiny house, plus 10 pets (seven dogs and three cats). Freeman is the lone case manager at the moment, with an open position for a second one; the task of assisting more than 60 people with needs including housing and job searches “can be overwhelming at times,” she acknowledged. But people continue to be placed in housing, she said, some to LIHI apartment buildings, but others to a variety of housing options all the way down to “rooms for rent.” LIHI can assist in placement of clients by paying their first/last months’ rent and deposit.

Weiss said the new managers have been stressing that “we want to help them keep moving along and get into permanent housing.” Yellow Robe added, “It’s a program, a stepping stone, not just a place to stay (indefinitely).”

That understanding isn’t shared by all, they said, particularly police whose help they have sought with removing problematic people from CSC. This issue surfaced last fall, as we reported in coverage of October’s Community Advisory Committee meeting. LIHI’s Josh Castle said CSC had required some police responses recently after a client assaulted a staffer, punching them in the face. He said police refused to remove the client from the site, insisting it was a landlord/tenant issue and that they couldn’t “evict” someone. When we followed up on the previous issue last fall, city homelessness-response spokesperson Linda Robson told us, “Legally, for purposes regarding evictions, tiny houses are considered emergency shelter, not housing.” But Castle said SPD has refused to help them in situations like this, at other LIHI tiny-house encampments as well as at CSC. In this situation, Castle said, an arrest would have been most appropriate, but “we just want them to leave the village.” Yellow Robe added that beyond the safety risk of having this person remain at CSC, it sets a bad example for others staying there – “The other clients are watching this and they think it’s a free for all.” One committee member suggested LIHI take the issue to the City Attorney’s Office.

The city did apparently take action on another problem, RVs and junk – not associated with CSC, accumulated along Myers Way adjacent to it. Weiss said he had filed a Find It Fix It report and cleanup/dispersal followed. Meantime, the camp is working on a new gate/fence in front to improve security. Committee members asked if the camp had any specific needs at the moment with which the community could assist; Freeman said she was looking into planning some activities such as an Easter dinner and egg hunt. Weiss said in general they are looking to bring in “more community partners” to provide services.

The Camp Second Chance Community Action Committee‘s monthly meetings are usually on second Tuesdays at 6 pm, online, open to all; email Josh Castle at LIHI to get on the announcement list – – and/or watch for the meeting info in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

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