City of Olympia officials notified homeless individuals living in The Jungle encampment on Monday, September 16, that the city would soon begin a “clean” of accumulated trash there, including the removal of all vehicles and apparently abandoned RVs from the property. The people living there were also informed that they themselves would not be evicted from the site.
The work started last Monday, September 23 and city staff say they expect it to be done by October 18.
The city’s Homeless Response Team coordinated the cleaning, which is being conducted by Layland Construction. The estimated cost is $210,000.
“Yeah, they gave us fair warning,” said one homeless man who did not want to be identified. “Cleaning up this place seems like a good thing to me.”
Members of Olympia’s Homeless Response Team distributed tape from September 16-20 to allow residents to mark off what they wanted to keep.
“We’ll see how this goes,” one unidentified homeless woman said as she put pink tape around a shopping card and canopy. “I just hope they leave my stuff alone.”
Last Monday, the first steps toward converting The Jungle into a what the city envisions as a resident-owned manufactured home community began.
“This particular clean needs about eight to 12 workers per day,” according to contractor Todd Layland, as the work began. “What we do is ‘needed.’ I don’t think I need to explain what happens if the trash is never removed, if hazardous waste continues to accumulate and if the ground and aquifers are contaminated.”
Nearby, a tracked Bobcat loader rumbled by and headed toward a large accumulation of trash. Moments later, the vehicle’s maw-like grapple scooped up and then bit down on a large pile of tarp, plastics and clothing. Off to the side, workers picked up and removed metal objects. A separate area was set aside to gather shopping carts.
“When we cleaned in Oakland (California) we removed just under a half-a-million pounds of debris, not including vehicles or RVs,” explained Layland. “The clean here in The Jungle is much smaller; I would guess about one-third or less than the size of Oakland.”
Standing by were several large roll-on, roll-off trash containers. “We’ll fill a few of those,” Layland said with a smile. As the Layland team worked its way into The Jungle, some of the residents piled trash up one of the dirt roads to make it easier for pick-up.
The action is the first step of the city’s plan to apply for a $40.9 million federal grant to eventually create an affordable housing community. If awarded the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grant would pay for the community. (See related story.)
The city owns several parcels on which the encampment sits and leases the rest from private property owners. The city plans to buy the other parcels if it receives the grant money.
If the city receives the grant – which is to be announced later this fall – the following timeline will take effect.
From 2025-26 the city would conduct outreach and relocation efforts to transition residents of The Jungle to temporary or permanent housing. Planning and permitting for road and utility design would also begin.
During 2027-28 a road would be constructed to connect Ensign Way NE to Pacific Avenue SE.
In 2029, construction of the affordable housing community would commence, to be completed by 2030.
“It’d be nice to see something good happen here,” another resident of The Jungle who asked not to be identified said as he put tape around some of his belongings. “But I’m not sure if any of this will happen.”
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bonaro
Cleaning up the Jungle and not removing the squatters only guarantees they will need to clean it up again.
Typical leftist thinking
3 days ago Report this
hptrillium
It seems like the houseless who are now in the Jungle would not benefit from this project because they don’t have money to buy the homes that would be built.
It sounds great for low income people that can afford it. I hope it succeeds.
3 days ago Report this
Dogmom
So, after spending 100s of thousands of taxpayer money, it will probably not even b 6 mo. b4 it looks the same way again. I have a real problem with the people costing us so much taxpayer money not cleaning up after themselves. Dumpsters have been provided time & time again & there is still filth, garbage & needles all over. When is enough, enough. What do they need to do to b kicked out of town permanently. There is no excuse for the filth & garbage they create.
3 days ago Report this
JulesJames
Difficult to comprehend my government so blithely ignores its own laws. The Jungle is a predatory anti-social sinkhole, yet attractive to vulnerable teens. It is a toxic environmental site and a safe harbor for stolen goods from our retail stores and construction sites. Close it down. Then clean it up. When local government in full force turns a blind eye to stolen goods and criminal behavior, no one's path out of destitution and depravity becomes easier.
3 days ago Report this
JW
Can I dump a bunch of my trash on my front lawn and then get the taxpayers to come pay for my trash removal too? Or am I not eligible? Should I commit a few felonies and start shooting up drugs? Would that make me eligible for taxpayer funded trash service?
3 days ago Report this
BevBassett
In times past, most of these people would have been housed in public housing or in mental institutions. These days we spend our public funds for bombs in the Middle East and various other military expenditures. And, we give big tax cuts to the wealthy funded by national debt. Those are American budget priorities--certainly not these poor people trying to survive in tents because they have nowhere else to go.
These people need all the help they can get. I respect and approve the City of Olympia's use of my tax monies to fund this cleanup. Its okay with me if they do cleanups every few months, too. Its the least we can do for our homeless citizens.
3 days ago Report this
Chappellg
Thank you Bev basset for your humane comments—only 1 out of 6 comments is too bad, but certainly welcome. Thank goodness the residents of The Jungle aren’t immigrants or we’d get even more negative comments.
3 days ago Report this
Somney
U.S. Government Spending, FYTD 2024
Top 10 Spending by Category and Agency
13 % -Health
13 % -National Defense
10 % -Income Security
5 % - Veterans Benefits and Services
5 %- Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services
2 %- Transportation
1 % - Community and Regional Development
3 % -Other
source https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/federal-spending/
Imagine if we spent less on defense spending and more on communities and people?
3 days ago Report this
MisPeeps
Not one of you with your negative comments have any real ideas to help the situation.
I thank all involved with trying to create a solution and with cleaning this up before it does contaminate the ground and aquifers.
The thing about kicking people out, driving them out of our towns is that they have to go somewhere. Lets support the city in long term solutions that will help us all reclaim the city we love and help people up as we do it.
This is not about left or right thinking, it is a "human" problem, it is about humanity and restoring our way of life while lifting other humans as we do.
3 days ago Report this
Yeti1981
*again..."The Jungle Gets Cleaned Up...again."
3 days ago Report this
OlyBlues
The city of Olympia should be so proud of themselves for allowing this disgusting third world country to take place in the city. Code enforcement violations? Fire code violations? Land use violations? The city could care less, free pass for these transients destroying the land. Another expensive democrat boondoggle compliments of the woke liberals running the city into the ground. They will be lucky if the Jungle isn't designated a Superfund site by the EPA. And to hear the workers cleaning up this dump compare it to Oakland? City officials must be SO proud! Another huge democrat success. Just like the Wheeler camp, city officials allowed the Jungle to become out of control and unmanageable wasteland until it cost hundreds of thousands of tax dollars. Time to clean house at city hall!
Yesterday at 1:54 AM Report this
wolfmanner
They will just move to another location. Hopefully in front of some city council member.
Yesterday at 1:33 PM Report this