Isaac Palmer -- death

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/318569_homeless06.html

Today a small group of us met with the contractors doing the work on I-5. Not the subcontractor, but the general contractor, up from California. They were all decent guys, really seem to want to do the right thing, make things safe for everyone.

The problem is there are not enough shelter beds, not enough affordable housing. People have to survive, and Interstate 5 is dry and accessible. There have been homeless people camping out in this stretch of the freeway for a very long time.

Twelve or thirteen years ago there were 200-300 hundred people in the greenbelt at the NW edge of Beacon Hill -- called the Jungle. Some of the campsites were unbelievably developed -- with huts made out of found materials, design, an aesthetic, homey touches all around.

The contractors want to have a list of options to pass out to homeless people.

THERE AREN'T ANY OPTIONS.

Oh yeah. Operation Nightwatch turned away 3 women last night.
Rick photo credit: John Decker