Seattle Clears Large Homeless Encampment in Ballard

- The city's "Unified Care Team," a multi-departmental group established by Mayor Bruce Harrell's administration, is responsible for carrying out encampment removals. Seattle allocated approximately $26.6 million for the team and its encampment clearing operations in the 2024 city budget. - Standard city protocol for a scheduled cleanup requires posting a notice at least 72 hours in advance, detailing the date and time of the removal and information on how to retrieve personal belongings. For encampments deemed an "immediate hazard" or "obstruction," such as those blocking a sidewalk, the city can remove them without prior notice. - Outreach is conducted by organizations contracted by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), which operates as a separate entity from the city. While these groups work to connect individuals with shelter and services, the city government retains the authority to decide when and where to conduct removals. - The Ballard neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of RV encampments in Seattle, and the area near Leary Way has been the subject of prior clearings and frequent complaints from local businesses and residents. An encampment in a nearby part of Ballard was also cleared in October 2023, displacing around 40 people. - In January 2026, new Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson delayed a planned sweep of a different encampment on NW 41st Street in Ballard, near the Burke-Gilman Trail, signaling a potential shift in strategy away from immediate clearings. The stated goal was to allow more time for outreach to find "solutions that bring more people inside." - Despite the initial delay, the city later posted 48-hour removal notices at the NW 41st Street encampment in February 2026 after outreach efforts had connected six individuals to housing options. This action suggests that while the new administration may alter the timeline, removals will proceed after outreach efforts are deemed complete.