Seattle to add hygiene trailers, hand-washing stations across city, pause most homeless camp sweeps

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Seattle will be adding hygiene trailers, portable toilets and hand-washing stations across the city as one of the steps city officials are taking to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness.

Seattle's Human Services Department announced in addition to the added hygiene stations -- which will be staffed and have garbage and needle disposal services -- the city's Navigation Team will stop conducting removals of homeless camps in most situations for the time being.

"The Navigation Team, along with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Police Department, and other City partners, will continue to pause 72-hour removals and will pause obstruction operations to prioritize COVID-19 outreach," the city's homelessness response blog said.

"No such removals will occur during the public health emergency unless needed for an extreme circumstance that presents a significant barrier to accessibility of city streets and sidewalks, and is an extraordinary public safety hazard that puts people living unsheltered or others at risks. Individuals in all of these cases will be offered shelter."

https://www.seattlepi.com/coronavirus/article/Seattle-to-add-hygiene-stations-handwashing-15138858.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletterspi&utm_term=spi

[rampartc]

1. long overdue

this has been a public health necessity in many cities for decades.

[LisaM]

2. I was last downtown on Thursday and this is needed.

It was pretty ugly. Shuttered businesses, homeless people in clusters, garbage piling up. I had sanitizer and just wiped down everything I came in contact with. We are WFH now.