Camps in Northwest showcase possible solution to Utah's tent cities


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SALT LAKE COUNTY — Ashley Drake, a self-described "city girl," has found herself in a desperate situation — homeless, illegally camping near the Jordan River.

"I've never had to live like this," Drake explained as she brushed aside weeds to reach her tent. "It's just not easy for me."

Drake's felony conviction puts her at the bottom of a long waiting list for affordable housing.

"What's frustrating is I'll talk to my clients, and they've gotten ticket after ticket for camping," said Michelle Nieto, outreach homeless coordinator with Volunteers of America. "They have nowhere else to go. They don't want to go to the shelter."

But these homeless camps are a hazard to the environment and costly to taxpayers.

"The real expense is the waste disposal, the police, the peripheral agencies that are there, the equipment. We are talking obviously millions of dollars," said Dale Keller with the Salt Lake Valley Health Department's Division of Environmental Health.

Keller estimates the number of illegal encampments are increasing 20 to 25 percent a year.

"We counted almost 100 between 3300 South and 4100 South," he said.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder has proposed developing a sanctioned urban camping site, located in the vacant lot at 100 South and 600 West, or some other suitable location, to help deal with illegal camping near the Road Home Shelter.

He recently told the KSL Editorial Board he was "a little chagrined when people jumped up and down and said what a crazy idea."

KSL headed to states where sanctioned camps are already in place.

Seattle

In 2015, the Seattle's mayor declared a state of emergency and sanctioned three new tent encampments, including Tent City 5, where Robert Bowen and his wife are residents.

"You have your own privacy, your own little home," Bowen said about their tent.

The encampment includes a communal kitchen, portable restrooms, 24-hour security and a code of conduct. No drugs or alcohol are allowed.

"As long as you maintain a code of conduct, you can stay here as long as you want to," Bowen said.

The camp can accommodate 60 to 80 people.

Here's how the agreement with the city of Seattle works for the camp. The city leases the land to a nonprofit. The nonprofit pays the bills, including liability insurance so the city can't get sued.

Other camps, however, are completely independent from the city. Camp United We Stand rotates between property owned by different churches.

"We have to move every three months from church to church," said camper Alycia Roberts.

Alycia Roberts, a resident of Camp United We Stand, gives KSL's Debbie Dujanovic a tour of the Seattle camp for the homeless. (Photo: KSL TV)
Alycia Roberts, a resident of Camp United We Stand, gives KSL's Debbie Dujanovic a tour of the Seattle camp for the homeless. (Photo: KSL TV)

#camp_united

She used to sleep in her car, always fearful police would maker her move. Now she sleeps through the night in peace.

"We have a very good relationship with the police around here," she said.

Supporters of these camps say the key to their success is that they are managed by the residents themselves.

"We decide things as a whole camp," Bowen said.

But not everyone is a fan. Cindy Pierce lives near Tent City 5 and is president of the Neighborhood Safety Alliance.

"Nobody should be living under tarps," Pierce said.

That is where Seattle's tiny-house strategy comes in.

KSL visited a tiny-house village outfitted with 14 sleeping pods located on church property. The houses cost about $1,500 to $2,500 to build and were all donated. The entire village took only six months to zone and construct. While the village looks welcoming, the goal here and at the other camps isn't to get people to stay.

"The most important thing is that it not be a dead end," said Sharon Lee, executive director with the Low Income Housing Institute. "Last year, 161 people moved into housing, and over 100 people were employed, and so it has been wildly successful."

Portland, Oregon

The idea of city-sanctioned homeless communities originated south of Seattle in Portland, Oregon.

"We know different types of sheltering environments work better for different people," said Marc Jolin, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services.

Portland has three tiny-house villages, including Dignity Village. Around since 2001, it is the longest-existing, city-sanctioned homeless village in the United States.

"I think it is viable anywhere because it empowers people," resident Scott Layman said.

Dignity Village in Portland, Oregon, has been around since 2001. It is the longest-existing, city-sanctioned homeless village in the United States. (Photo: KSL TV)
Dignity Village in Portland, Oregon, has been around since 2001. It is the longest-existing, city-sanctioned homeless village in the United States. (Photo: KSL TV)

#dignity_pic

Everyone that lives in the village must contribute 10 hours to the maintenance of the village.

Portland's newest tiny-house village is more controversial. It sprang up without permission from the city, and neighbors want it to go.

But Portland residents are getting behind an idea that may seem pretty radical. This summer, the city plans to plop down tiny houses designed for the homeless in homeowners' backyards.

"The response has been tremendous. We've had over 1,000 homeowners sign up," Jolin said.

The tiny homes, officially known as accessory dwelling units or ADUs, will have plumbing and electricity, and homeowners get to keep them after housing a homeless family for five years.

"We are looking at whether ADUs can be effective permanent housing," Jolin said.

Back in Washington, state Sen. Mark Miloscia believes part of the problem surrounding homelessness is that cities are building housing units that are too big and expensive.

He believes tiny homes are the key to solving the nation's homeless crisis.

"If you don't have tiny homes, you won't solve the crisis," he said.

Tiny homes, villages and tent cities are ideas that are all out of the box, bringing people in off of the streets and out of the bushes in Seattle, Portland and at least 10 other cities across the country.

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Candice Madsen

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