Where Do They Go? The Painful Reality of Seattle's RV Homeless Sweeps

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Lux has been homeless since she was 16. Growing up, her mother was critically ill, so Lux lived with her stepdad. He would kick her out randomly when he was drinking. "I wouldn't know where to go," she said. "Eventually, it got to the point where I didn't want to go back." Lux is now 19. She has lived in her RV for three years and has been forced to move about 20 times.

Seattle's controversial RV homeless sweeps have been a source of contention among advocates, residents, and city officials alike. By forcibly removing vehicle residents from their makeshift mobile homes, these sweeps not only displace vulnerable individuals but also often leave them with no alternative shelter. This policy, aimed at addressing the visible impact of homelessness in the city, has been criticized for exacerbating the issue by further marginalizing those who already face significant challenges.

The trauma and disruption experienced by people subjected to these sweeps cannot be overstated. For many, their RV or vehicle serves as a lifeline, offering a modicum of stability and protection from the elements. The sudden loss of their mobile home can have a devastating impact on their mental and emotional well-being, and without suitable alternatives, many are left to face the streets unprotected. This not only creates an unsafe environment for those individuals, but it also makes it increasingly difficult for them to access necessary resources and services that could aid them in their journey towards stable housing.

Lux receives help from Vehicle Residency Outreach in Seattle. "Joe and Jonah have been visiting me quite often," she said, bringing her food and to Goodwill for clothes. They also let her know when sweeps will happen, so she doesn't lose her van. "I really appreciate them."

Bill Kirlin, Director of Vehicle Residency Outreach, said his team works with parking enforcement, which will refer the team to homeless people living in their vehicles to prevent them from getting impounded. "Being homeless is traumatic in different and unique ways," Bill said. "Having an understanding of that helps. Three of our four people have experienced homelessness and lived in a vehicle. They better understand what comes with living in a vehicle."

Joe Ingram is one of those people.

"What we do is go out and meet people living in vehicles," Joe said, adding he and his partner Jonah will buy vehicle parts, provide gas money, bags of food, and get people like Lux things they need, including moving their vehicles. "If they get swept, they will lose their home, and they are walking the streets, and there are no shelter beds available. There's no shelter to refer people to now. It's just moving people over and over again."

Joe has been doing outreach for over 20 years and has been homeless multiple times. "I'm good at responding to their needs," he said. "I build bridges, bridges of trust. "I can feel the trauma and the apprehension they have. The first time I met Lux, I went home and cried. I know the trauma and the fear of not knowing what will happen next."

According to Dr. Graham Pruss, a Vehicle Residency Expert, 30-50% of people who are unsheltered in Seattle live in vehicles. That is anywhere between 3,000 to 5,000 people. Many cities like Seattle have regulations that push oversized vehicles like RVs into industrial zones, often very far from social services. The result is a systemic disconnection between people living in vehicles and the actual social services.

Finding a solution is looking at the diversity of vehicle residents and how to connect them with the existing services – overnight temporary parking spaces, longer-term supportive parking spaces, and more permanent stable parking spaces like an RV Park or mobile home park.

Executive producer: Mark Horvath

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#homeless #seattle #servicesnotsweeps
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About Invisible People

Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
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I spent 17 months in king county jail and when I got out I had no place to go and ended up on the streets. I had to get a tent and stayed in it for a couple of months up until one day someone stole my tent. I then had to go to a shelter and then I got housing through REACH. Big shout out to the folks at REACH for finding me my studio.

BLVCKSEA
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I grew up very poor, never homeless but lived in trailer parks. We rented trailers in bad neighborhoods and shitty trailer parks. My parents kept what little bit we had in good condition and clean. So many trailers around us were a mess and there was lots of drug use. No shame in being poor but there is shame is being dirty.

steady
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Thank you for helping human beings, this guy is a true kind hearted human being

davidrobertson
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As a nomadic day laborer, seeing these videos helps to remind me how fortunate I am compared to many other vehicle dwellers. I truly appreciate the work y'all do to help those less fortunate than myself👍👍

mvincent
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As someone that was homeless in Seattle living out of a tent under I-5 and then a car for 6 years total 10 years ago I looked forward to the visits by outreach! After pulling myself out of that situation 10 years ago and getting sober this definitely humbles me a bit now that I have a good paying job, a brand new car and a safe place to lay my head down at night without fear of loosing it. I hope things get better for each and everyone of those souls. I was a lucky one to be able to get out of that cycle. ❤ keep up the good fight guys!

Citybird-cwpg
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She nay have suffered so much due to her family but, Lux, I sincerely hope life turns around for you. You deserve better.

wot
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Wow! I used to know Joe through homeless outreach work in Seattle 10+ years ago. Extremely cool to see that he's still at it.

rainewalker
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I lived in Seattle for 5 years (until Dec 2021) and used to volunteer at the Georgetown and Othello Tiny home/homeless villages. It was emotionally draining to see what the homeless population goes thru, but I’m thankful to these organizations that continue to do good work. I pray that we find more solutions to end homelessness.

waventures
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This old guy deserves a medal such a considerate guy big love fam

Knightyboii
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When I'm living in my car I'm never parking around other people who are also living in their cars. I'm parking in your quiet neighborhood, and you'll never even know it, because I don't cause problems. "When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."

carsilk
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I was homeless a few years ago for l am thankful a couple of months. I'm retired and get social security and the town I was in I knew very well. There was an awesome homeless outreach that fed me once a day. I could shower everyday and around the corner was a laundrymat. I was very blessed to have an income a SUV and I had different places to park and sleep. And being old took me longer but I was abundantly blessed. These precious people . God please help and the very nice man who drives around and helps. He's an angel on earth, very nice guy.

debroahisaacs
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My heart breaks for the homeless.
I live in Samoa and there is no such thing as homeless.
Everyone deserves basic needs e.g shelter, food and water ❤

tasalaotele
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I've been homeless and my 1 priority was to keep my space clean. That is often all it takes to avoid the sweeps.

waynemcgarrity
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Goes to show how one person can make the difference. This man was put here for a reason. God bless you sir!

lisascott
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It is utterly heart wrenching to see ANYONE…SO MANY living like this in this country! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Mercurychyld
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Seeing this, just brings tears to my eyes. I lived in a vehicle for three years. I got lucky... when my housing finally came through, someone ran a red light and totaled my vehicle/home. I had to dodge the insurance company because they wanted the rent vehicle back before I could find a place to accept section 8 ...plus my pet's were with me. It all worked out, but I'm still without a vehicle because prices are too high. It feels great to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in. There were days that I thought I freeze to death when my alternator went out during the coldest days of the year. That really tested me. I was struggling not to end it all. That's why I can't help but cry while watching this.

ledzep
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The 19 yr old. God bless her and everyone dealing with homelessness and living in a vehicle 🙏

--ag
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As someone who spent a few years Homeless I can say from real life Experience, Rehab is where most need to go. The rest who are just down on there luck don’t stay Homeless long, because they take the shelter and temp housing help successfully .

WhoDoUthinkUr
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They need a safe space for these folks to park. A place where there's restrooms, washing stations, trash removal.

talatalatikaani
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I was taken from my moms when I was young and I started running away at the age of 13, I successfully ran away at the age of 16 and was homeless till 18ish! I was lucky to have someone help me out with an address and I got a job shortly after that, I hated being homeless so I worked a lot to save money, it wasn't easy and not many people care enough to help! I feel their pain, and I know what that man means when he says he cries for them, cause I do too!

scottlavoie