Olympia Prioritizes 4th Avenue Bridge Homeless Encampment Over Community

City Council sets dangerous precedent in political battle over homelessness

In a surprise move at the September 10th Olympia City Council meeting, Council Member Nathaniel Jones made a last minute motion to delay the planned removal of the 4th Avenue Bridge homeless encampment scheduled for September 11th. Jones claimed that the city had not followed through on promises made to campers. The Council voted 5–1 to allow the camp the stay until a “comparable appropriate alternative” location can be found.

It is hard not to see this as political theater to boost Jones leadership profile as he challenges current Mayor Cheryl Selby in this fall’s election. Selby was the sole objector to the motion and the manner in which Jones broke protocol presenting it. Jones, claiming politics had nothing to do with his decision, nonetheless handed the encampment a political victory that comes at a cost to the community at large who overwhelmingly backed removal of the camp.

This includes the Squaxin Island Tribe who spoke out against the camp in a letter to Council, “the encampment under the bridge is having a significant impact on the Tribal community and it needs to be removed from this location.” The Tribe complains about theft of salmon, denigration of the shoreline and environmental…