The city of Olympia [WA] claims its homeless problem is now a public health emergency. City leaders said there are as many as 1,000 homeless people in Olympia. (This estimate is significantly higher than counted in the Thurston County Homeless Census.)
People at the so-called “Camp Wheeler” homeless encampment along Wheeler Avenue SE were supposed to be evicted Thursday. But the city has put those plans on hold for the next week. The camp is on city-owned property in east Olympia. The city said it wants to clear it out to make way for a park. (KOMO4 News, July 19, 2018)
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Many businesses report they are losing customers and employees, and they will not renew long-term leases in downtown Olympia. They report instances of violence, drug use and trash spilling over onto his property.
Olympia police, meanwhile, are getting ready to launch a mental health outreach team and downtown walking patrols with money from the public safety levy voters approved last year. And the city has proposed zoning changes it says would lead to more types of housing being built.
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