Autumn Netty, Brooke Alford, Hillary Pritchett
The term “homeless encampment” is used to describe a
multiplicity of living situations, its scope covering individual encampments,
complex community or village encampments, and everything in between. This photo
diary includes images from two Seattle encampments on opposite ends of this
spectrum – one community encampment, Nickelsville, a South Seattle shantytown
assembled on City-owned property and one solitary shelter encampment on
the grassy median between I-5 North and NE 45th Street.
Nickelsville currently exists on an historic wetland, now
filled with dredge material from the Duwamish River and 'capped' with clean
material. Shelters are on pallets and walkways and low areas are being raised
with arborist woodchips. Currently a semi-permanent community awaiting
City sanction, some community leaders in Nickelsville aspire to a 10 year
vision and accommodations for up to 300 residents.
The solitary encampment we photographed is composed of a
single tent and a chair. The tent faces toward the busy freeway--perhaps an
attempt at privacy from exiting cars. The three trees nearest the tent serve as
a place for drying blankets, bike storage and campsite delineation.
Advantages and challenges accompany both living in solitary
camps and in community encampments. While solitary living offers liberty from
group rules and group structure, it comes with the increased dangers of
physical abuse, theft, and peer pressure. And while living in a larger
community means access to a larger supply of resources (food, blankets, tents,
tarps, etc) and a relatively extensive support system, the success of the
community is dependent upon extensive organizational efforts, and necessitates
adherence to a strict list of rules. Nickelsville now takes donations online to
pay for utilities such as Honey Bucket rentals and waste disposal.
View Seattle DIY Urbanism: Encampments in a larger map
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