A group of neighbors in south Seattle is organizing their efforts to push the city to take immediate action at a growing homeless encampment.
A group of neighbors in south Seattle is organizing their efforts to push the city to take immediate action at a growing homeless encampment.
The encampment at 42nd Avenue South near Beacon Avenue South has grown to several acres and spans across multiple private and public properties.
"It's a humanitarian crisis of the worst possible measure," said neighbor Andrew Rauch. "The city needs to come in with a hammer and clear these encampments right now. There is going to be tragedy that ensues, whether that’s large-scale or the small tragedies that occur in these encampments day in and out.”
KOMO News first reported on the encampment in summer of 2025 when a man was killed in a shootout in the encampment.
A drone image from June 2025 showed a handful of tents and RV's in the area:
A drone image from June 2025 of the south Seattle homeless encampment at 42nd Avenue South near Beacon Avenue South. (KOMO)For comparison, here is a drone image from this week:
A drone image of the same encampment in September 2026. (KOMO)“It is just mind boggling the city cannot get control over this," Rauch said. “These are folks who don’t want help; they are not going to fall in line to move into any sort of shelter, and certainly not going to be receptive to drug treatment. There are solutions to that, but the city has no teeth in any of its policies.”
Rauch and neighbors have called, emailed, and filed reports with the city's 'Find It Fix It' app.
In an email response to Rauch last week, the City of Seattle's Unified Care Team said it was aware of the growth of the encampment.
"We will continue to monitor the site regularly, conduct bi-weekly trash cleanup, and carry out outreach efforts as we develop a plan with a specified resolution date," Interim Unified Care Team Director Lee Momon wrote in the email.
The city maintains a list of priority encampments based on health and safety risks, accessibility concerns, and environmental impacts. Momon said this encampment is ranked as a lower priority than other camps in the city of Seattle right now.
"However, we are closely watching changing conditions," he wrote.
Complicating things at this encampment is the fact that it now spans across multiple private and public properties. At least one property owner has allowed people to set up camp there.
Christopher Richards spoke with KOMO News at the site and said he is a homeless advocate who is assisting the property owner in dealing with people who are living on his portion of the encampment.
"It’s his property; they’re allowed to have tiny homes, things like that while he’s looking into how he can facilitate these people in recovery," Richards said. "They need housing. It’s about to be winter.”
Richards said the encampment is comprised of different groups who don't necessarily associate with each other.
"That’s what’s nice about this group up here, they’re staying tight-knit," he said.
The city opened a tiny home village adjacent to the site in 2022, which neighbors said they were promised would help resolve encampments in the area. Instead, Rauch said it has done the opposite.
“If this is the result, I would warn any neighborhood to be super resistant," he said. The level of criminality behind us is off the charts. This is tearing at the fabric of our community."
