City of Seattle
Unpermitted Encampment Protocols
DEPUTY MAYOR, K ATE JONCAS
HSD, CATHERINE L ESTER
FAS, CHRIS POT TER

CITY OF SEATTLE

1

 Encampment Sites
1. Concentration in urban and transportation corridors
2. Significant scalability considerations
3. Few communities in the city are unaffected

CITY OF SEATTLE

2

 Multi-Departmental Administrative Rule
(MDAR)
Key Elements:
1. Defines unauthorized encampments and specifies operating hours for each property
2. Describes enforcement options
3. Provides a minimum of 72 hours notice to encampment occupants before removal of
personal property
4. Provides opportunity for retrieval of personal items
5. Provides storage of personal items for up to 60 days

CITY OF SEATTLE

3

 Multi-Departmental Administrative Rule
(MDAR)
Key Elements of Encampment Removal Procedures:
1. Provides consistent, coordinated approach and procedures across all City departments
2. Directs the public and staff to work through the City’s Customer Service Bureau to
identify unauthorized encampments
3. Provides outreach to unauthorized campers to connect them with needed services
and shelter
4. Provides added shelter capacity if needed

CITY OF SEATTLE

4

 Encampment Clean-ups post-SOE
Week

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Grand Total

Sum of People Sum of Number of
# of Events
at site
Tents

1
2
2
2
6
4
5
4
2
8
2
38

5
5
11
4
49
46
10
24
1
13
16
184

9
11
9
6
36
60
15
18
0
18
18
200

Sum of Number of
Tents Removed

9
0
9
6
16
8
7
18
0
18
18
109
CITY OF SEATTLE

Sum of Non-shelter services
Accepted

Sum of Shelter
Accepted

0
1
13
36
2
4
0
1
3
60

4
4
6
4
20
14
1
7
1
3
10
74
5

 Expanded Outreach - Services
1. Flexible funds
2. Rapid Re-Housing / Diversion
3. Mental health / Chemical dependency services
4. Shelter beds for MDOT
5. Mobile medical van
6. Employment services

CITY OF SEATTLE

6

 Recent Engagement: 1-90 and Rainier

 

 

CITY OF SEATTLE 7