Othello Village, like the other camps, is self-governed by its residents. Right now there are 49 of them, including nine children, living in a combination of tents and brightly painted tiny houses. Though campers vote on the four main leadership positions every week, J.R. has been re-elected bookkeeper for months. Since arriving shortly after the camp opened in March, newly 60 and homeless for the first time, he’s become an adamant defender of the encampment model. He calls it a “stepping-stone” out of shelter or the streets. “You’re taking baby steps,” he says.
As bookkeeper, he intakes new campers. When someone arrives looking for a place to stay, J.R. hands them a copy of the rules: no illegal substances of any kind on site, no weapons, no abusive language, no open flames. He checks their name against the King County sex offender registry and the list of people permanently barred from other tent cities. If they clear those hurdles, they’re given an available tent for the night.
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- Should Seattle Be Building Tent Cities for the Homeless?, Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - 03:22