1,082 homeless in Olympia, WA on notice: Clear out!

[Bluebear]

OLYMPIA — The city of Olympia plans to clean out homeless camps in city parks and along the Woodland Trail after receiving complaints from neighbors about zoning, sanitation and drug-abuse issues.

Lt. Bill Wilson said Olympia police have given residents of camps along the Woodland Trail about 30 days' notice that they need to move. He said they will be warned again before camps are cleared.

"We are just now starting the process that will invite the Police Department, the Parks Department, Community Planning and Development, possibly the Public Works Department to address the homeless encampments in our parks," Wilson said....

"In the past year and a half, things have changed here dramatically," said Carol Rainwood, who lives a couple of blocks from the trail. "Camps are huge, built right off the trail, boldly claiming ownership of the woods. We cannot walk from Eastside Street to Frederick Street without seeing piles of sodden, left-behind clothing, sleeping bags and trash strewed on and next to the trail.

"I am no longer comfortable walking here alone," Rainwood said. She said the city needs to address the situation before there's a confrontation between trail users and homeless people....

"I think it's kind of a futile effort for the city," said Phil Owen, a volunteer host at Bread & Roses, a shelter for single women and families in Olympia. "What they're doing is reshuffling the problem."




http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011406775_homeless22.html

[Arctic Dave]

1. And people say there is nothing wrong with the economy because

they don't see any bread lines.

[thecrow]

2. There but for the grace of God go you, or I..................

Maybe if they cleaned up after themselves??

[Newest Reality]

3. I see tons of trash ...

strewn along highways and otherwise beautiful, rural roadways. If and when it is cleaned-up, it is rapidly replenished.

So, by the logic of what's going on in the OP, the solution to that is to get those darn littering drivers off the road, ey? They are conflicting with the natural beauty and pristine purity of nature itself.

[pscot]

4. Rousting the homeless seems pretty harsh

On the other hand, you can't have large numbers of folks occupying public spaces. Why not partition up an unused box store or the like, install some beds and a cooking facility and get these people out of the weather.