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Like a magnet, Olympia seems to draw some of its homeless from other cities and states.
The controversial “magnet theory” argues that municipalities with relatively generous social services attract homeless individuals from other areas. Some of Olympia’s unhoused provide a degree of validity to the theory.
“I’m here because I had heard that Olympia has lots of things for the homeless,” said Zach, as he stood outside the east end of the 7th Avenue Tunnel. “It’s the reason why my mom drove me up from California and dropped me off here.”
He’s not the only unhoused individual to make this observation.
For the past several months, The JOLT News has asked some of the homeless where they come from, and a small but significant number said they were from not only from cities, such as Tacoma, Aberdeen and Centralia, but also from states like Texas, California, Oregon and Arizona.
“The homeless have it good here,” said Carrie, an unhoused woman from Aberdeen said. “The word is out there that Olympia is the place to come if you’re homeless.”
To city leaders, this mindset is concerning.
At the Dec. 10 Olympia City Council meeting, Kim Kondrat, the city’s homeless response coordinator, pointed out that there has been an influx of homeless individuals into the city.
“We’re noticing there are people from Aberdeen and Tacoma, they are really enforcing homelessness in their cities and pushing them out,” she said.
She added that Olympia lacks the ability to adequately address the growing homeless population already in Olympia, without the influx of more homeless individuals.
“We have not had a women’s shelter at all in the city for many, many years, and so ongoing conversations with different faith communities — there’s a lot of barriers for them to overcome, to even incentivize them to even be open to setting up another shelter,” Kondrat said.
Harris is one of those women. Born and raised in Bellingham, the teenager recently fled to Olympia due to an abusive relationship.
“I’m here to try get a new start, and I heard that Olympia is a good place to come to,” she said while standing in an alley near the Olympia Union Gospel Mission. “Other than here, I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Kondrat acknowledges that the city has done a good job of taking on the challenge of helping the homeless.
“Hey, we as a community are not going to sweep you, we’re not going to make you leave — unless it’s private property — until we have either had an opportunity to offer you shelter or some other best kind of place that where you are now.”
Mayor Dontae Payne sees the issue in terms of a small sailboat onto which 100 people are trying to board.
“When I think about the City of Olympia trying to help everyone, that’s what comes to mind,” he said.
“As compassionate as we want to be, we also have to be realistic, and so I hope we’re tracking and monitoring how many folks are coming from outside of the community.”
He added that he wants Olympia to send a message to other communities that “the City of Olympia is not your way out of passing your regressive policies, and then we pick up the slack for you. That’s not what this is about. And we’re certainly not going to be supportive of those efforts; they need to take care of their own people.”
When asked about the mayor’s comments, one downtown business person, who wished to remain anonymous, paused for a moment and then said, “He’s absolutely right; we seem to be drawing more of the homeless to us when we can’t even take care of our own.”
Editor’s note: All homeless people in this article gave their permission to be quoted and photographed.
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JulesJames
When a municipality makes lawless desperation acceptable, criminals flock to it. But worse - vulnerable individuals of all ages find a false harbor under the proverbial bridge. We do no favors to anyone mainstreaming the transient lifestyle.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Report this
HotTractor
JulesJames, it isn't illegal to be homeless, yet. Homeless people are homeless for many reasons. The reason they come here is because they are being driven out of other locations, they aren't being helped. So Olympia isn't the problem, the other cities are the problem.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Report this
jimlazar
Olympia needs to find a way to be compassionate to people who have long called Olympia home, while finding ways to NOT be a magnet for the homeless.
There are nearly 1 million people who are homeless in America. A significant fraction of that number are unsheltered. This is a national problem that needs to be addressed at the national level, but I'm skeptical than the incoming administration will embrace that view.
It is unacceptable for a wealthy country to have people sleeping on the sidewalk, in the woods, and wherever they can find where they can stay alive. That we must change.
Part of the answer is to provide a minimum of services to people who have newly arrived, with a seniority system so those who have been here a lifetime receive priority.
Part of the answer is to pressure the state and federal government to take a larger role in housing, shelters, food security, medical care, mental health care, and law enforcement.
In my opinion, the Olympia City Council is approaching the problem poorly, and creating a magnet city.
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
mathisje
Without facts, the article is specious argument. Last authoritative article I read, stated surveys showing 90+% of homeless in Washington came from Washington. If Olympia has hard data that its numbers are different, please provide or stop speculating.
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
bonaro
When you leave the door open, the fly's come in. Olympia has the best free **** so the homeless flock here to consume it. It is really that simple. Time to change...
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
JW
The city of Olympia has long been the dumping ground for the county with Tumwater and Lacey gladly shuffling people into the downtown manure pile for years so why won't it also become a regional manure pile?
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
RedskinPatriot
I love the 'Jolt' it is a great news outlet that actually rolls up their sleeves from time to time to get dirty and report the Truth. However, I feel like this was a missed opportunity to point out what has taken place the last 4 years in major cities across the US. Granted, they report on local issues, but let's look around and see the current trends.
New York City Mayor Adams campaigned on New York's "Sanctuary City" status. Also, defund the police back in the summer of riots or riot season as I like to call it. Now he has done a complete 180 - it is not hard to see why Thruston County has become the grotesque cesspool of homeless encampments. Let's not mention that our property taxes are then moved around to support services for the homeless. Which means our tax dollars do not get applied towards first responders, teachers, and other city services. Instead, we get new legislation that calls for more taxes.
I feel like the Jolt could have done better - simply reporting what other cities have done to improve the welfare of its citizens. Or in the case of New York, Denver, Chicago, LA, Portland... What it hasn't done to improve the welfare of the citizen.
Government should not pick winners and losers and if they do it should be the TAX PAYING CITIZEN that gets the government services. Not the homeless or the non-citizen. We cannot uphold the rule of law on some citizens and not others.
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
BillString
Send them all to Fargo on a Greyhound. Less than $300 per one-way ticket. Then clean their trash camps and keep any new drifters out.
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
coordinator
This is not new! Olympia has been attracting homeless for decades! Wake up! This is why Olympia is so bad! Crime up, theft up, drugs up! Nothing will ever change unless we decide to change our response. How can our children expect to be safe? Be able to walk on the street? Stop being so ignorant! So nonchalant! "It's not my problem, it will be fine, it will go away, it will not affect me." Not correct! As my grandmother used to say: "He who does not work shall not eat." It still applies today.
Wednesday, January 1 Report this
coordinator
Yes! Come on down! We'll give you everything you need for free! That's Olympia!
Saturday, January 4 Report this
Claire
The Shitty of Olympia is just that. Shitty. Time for new thinking, and people, on the Olympia Shitty Council. Can't wait for the next election cycle.
Tuesday, January 14 Report this