Tent City 4 is a homeless encampment of up to 100 persons operated by homeless residents and sponsored by 501(c)(3) organizations Seattle Housing and Resources Effort (SHARE) and Women's Housing Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL). The camp was created in May 2004 and limits itself to places of worship in eastern King County outside of Seattle. Minors are not allowed in Tent City 4, although there is a provision for emergency situations. Residents may use their own tents or community tents that are segregated by gender. Dumpsters, portable toilets and a shower, paid for by SHARE, are provided to address sanitation concerns. In order to control access to the encampment, there is only one entry/exit to the camp that is guarded at all times.
Tent City 4's meanderings are often met with stiff resistance from some residents of the communities it moves into. King County and many of the cities therein have subsequently established land-use codes in an attempt to balance the desire of faith-based organizations to host the camp and the concerns of some of its neighbors over health and safety.
History
Brickyard Park and Ride - Near Bothell (May 2004)
SHARE members announced intention to begin encampment in a county-owned park. King County Executive Ron Sims initially arranged to site Tent City 4 on county-owned wetlands adjoining a park-and-ride lot near Interstate 405 and N.E. 160th Street. The local community group Brickyard Community For Fair Process filed a lawsuit to prevent the move, noting that the land was too close to an environmentally sensitive area, and that there was no public notice or process involved in the siting. In legal discovery, the property in question was identified as Metro Transit, not King County property, and as such was subject to a law prohibiting camping on transit property.
St. Brendan's Catholic Church—Bothell (May 2004-August 2004)
With the pending loss of the Brickyard site Ron Sims brokered a last minute deal to locate the camp on vacant church owned land near St. Brendan's Catholic Church. Since the City of Bothell was excluded from the meetings held by Sims, resulting in a lack of advance notice, and the encampment refusing to abide by the cities permitting process, the city felt it had to take the church and SHARE to court in order to stipulate conditions of occupancy.City of Bothell Files Lawsuit to Seek Preliminary Injunction Regarding Tent City4 The court ruled that SHARE and the Church must obtain a permit for the encampment.City of Bothell Hearing Concluded: City has Right to Seek Permit with Conditions The Bothell City Council elected to conduct their own quasi-judicial hearings, rather than use a hearing examiner.Bothell City Council to Consider Adopting Tent City4 Resolution and Set Public Hearing Date for Permitting Process On July 19, 2004, two months after TC4 assumed occupancy of the site and after weeks of public testimony, the committee approved a land use permit by a unanimous vote that included several conditions that the church and camp were required to meet.Bothell City Council Approves Special Conditional Use Permit for Tent City4 Wong, Brad. Bothell approves permit, setting terms of Tent City 4 at church . Seattle P-I. July 20, 2004. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
Northshore United Church of Christ—Woodinville (August–November 2004)
NUCC invited Tent City 4 to relocate to its property, and applied to the city of Woodinville for a temporary use permit. Woodinville City council proposed moving Tent City 4 to an undeveloped plot of park property for 40 days while NUCC and SHARE pursued permits to stay for an additional 60 days. The site was seen as preferable due to its location in an industrial, rather than residential, area.Ordinance 369. Woodinville City Council. August 11, 2004. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
In exchange for the use of this site NUCC, and SHARE signed an agreement with the City of Woodinville which stated that SHARE and any church sponsor, "must agree not to establish, sponsor or support any homeless encampment within the City of Woodinville without a valid temporary use permit issued by the city".
In order to gain an additional 60 days in Woodinville SHARE agreed to identify its next potential site and to legally obtain the proper permits by September 25, 2004. SHARE violated this agreement by refusing to identify the next site and failing to file for a permit in time to obtain one before the move date.
In July 2009, the Washington State Supreme Court sided with Tent City and NUCC over the City of Woodinville.
St. John Vianney Catholic Church—Finn Hill (November 2004-February 2005)
St. John's, near Kirkland, filed a request for a temporary use permit with the county on October 28 to allow TC4 to locate on church property beginning November 22. On November 9, Church leaders announced it was their intention to begin moving TC4 onto church property beginning November 19, but some residents protested that 10 days was insufficient notice.Kirkland Parish to Host Tent City 4 . Seattle Archdiocese. November 14, 2004. Retrieved on June 12, 2006. A community opposition group sued, and won, in order to get the same conditions for health and safety that previous host communities had obtained, and Tent City 4 took up residency for a 90-day period.
Kirkland Congregational Church—Kirkland (February–May 2005)
Kirkland Congregational Church members voted to invite TC4 to locate on church property. Opponents filed suit again, citing similar reasons of insufficient notice. They were issued a TRO by the court requiring the encampment to abide by the same conditions required at previous sites. The Kirkland City Council allowed TC4 to move to Kirkland Congregational in February under the condition that SHARE sign an agreement to not locate in Kirkland before August, 2006.
Lake Washington United Methodist Church—Kirkland (May–August 2005)
A month after its move to KCCUCC, TC4 received an invitation to locate on the property of Lake Washington United Methodist Church. The City of Kirkland revised its code to allow a second consecutive stay. This allowed the church to file for a permit 30 days in advance and for the first time since its creation, TC4 arrives at a location with permits in hand.Tuinstra, Rachel. Tent City 4 invited to new church site . The Seattle Times. March 17, 2005. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church—Cottage Lake near Woodinville (August–November 2005)
WUUC was the first church to apply for a permit under King County's new rules for homeless encampments. A determination was made by DDES that a permit was not required so despite the intention of allowing public process TC4 was allowed to move in without permits.
Temple B'nai Torah—Bellevue's Crossroads area (November 2005-February 2006)
Under its new permitting process Tent City 4 was limited by the City of Bellevue to 40 residents and 60 days duration. These limits were a result of the resources the Temple had available, and resulted in the Church and SHARE filing a lawsuit against the City of Bellevue to challenge the rules. The parties negotiated a consent decree where TC4 and its supporters acknowledged that Bellevue was within its rights to adopt these code changes in exchange for allowing TC4 to stay 90 days at the Temple and St Luke's sites in Bellevue and agreeing not to return to the city for one year.
St. Luke's Lutheran Church—Bellevue's North Towne community (February–May 2006)
SHARE and the City of Bellevue reached agreements in mediation leading to a second stay within Bellevue City limits, and TC4 relocated at St. Luke's Lutheran Church. The site's proximity to active bus routes, shopping center, and nearby freeways made for better access to services for the residents.
Northshore United Church of Christ—Woodinville (May–August 2006)
Less than two weeks before the proposed move date, NUCC requested that Woodinville once again provide the public park property for use by TC4 for a period of 60 days.Seattle Times Eastside bureau. Tent City asks to come back . The Seattle Times. March 3, 2006. Retrieved on June 12, 2006. If the city was unwilling, the church publicly announced a plan to relocate on church property for 90 days without further permit procedures. The city council declined to make the park available and informed the church that it would face a full legal response and code enforcement effort if it went ahead with the move. Despite these warnings, NUCC allowed TC4 to relocate to church property on May 13. The city filed a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order with King County Superior Court on May 12,Bach, Rachel. Tent City 4 running out of places to go . The Seattle Times. May 12, 2006. Retrieved on June 12, 2006. which was denied by Judge Palmer Robinson after reviewing the city's briefing and hearing oral argument. Instead the judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the city from taking code enforcement action until a May 24 hearing, thus allowing TC4 to move onto church property, subject to certain conditions.Homeless Camp Moves To Woodinville Church . KIROTV.com. May 13, 2006. Retrieved on June 12, 2006. Woodinville filed for injunctive relief, breach of contract, and collection of damages with the King County Superior Court. On May 30, Judge Charles Mertel ordered the sides to mediation to be conducted daily while the case was being heard. This mediation failed to result in a settlement. The city also sought financial restitution for private and public security costs.Tent City4 Information Page City of Woodinville. Retrieved on June 12, 2006. On June 9, Judge Mertel ruled the encampment and church were in violation of their 2004 agreement with the city and ordered the encampment to vacate the site by midnight June 17.Tuinstra, Rachel. Judge pulls up the stakes on Woodinville's Tent City . The Seattle Times. June 10, 2006. Retrieved by June 12, 2006. On June 13, NUCC and SHARE/WHEEL filed an appeal with the state Court of Appeals arguing that the city's land use code is an unconstitutional infringement upon the church's religious expression, that the church did not violate the 2004 agreement between the church and city, and that the church was denied its constitutional right to a trial by jury.Whitely, Peyton. Tent City 4's eviction appealed to state court . The Seattle Times. June 14, 2006. Retrieved on June 15, 2006. On June 16 the Washington State Court of Appeals issued a stay of the trial court's decision pending the resolution of the appeal.Whitely, Peyton. Court rules Tent City 4 can remain at church, for now. The Seattle Times. June 17, 2006. Retrieved on June 17, 2006. The City appealed the stay, but the stay was affirmed by a full panel of appellate judges. The City's request for attorney fees was subsequently denied by Judge Mertel. Additionally, a Northeast District Judge in Redmond dismissed 28 misdemeanor citations from the city against a SHARE/WHEEL employee by ruling that the city was "without authority" to issue the citations. On February 26, 2007, Judge David Steiner ordered Woodinville to pay the $8,388 in attorneys' fees needed to defend the SHARE employee.
On Thursday, July 16, 2009 the Washington State Supreme Court ruled unanimously Washington State Supreme Court, City of Woodinville v. Northshore United Church of Christ http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/?fa=opinions.disp&filename=805881MA that the City of Woodinville was incorrect in denying the church's permit application. The decision was hailed as a victory by local religious leadersSeattle Times, July 16, 2009 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009484683_tentcity17m.html and the Seattle Times.Seattle Times, July 17, 2009, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2009490935_edit19northshore.html
First Evangelical Lutheran Church—Bothell (Proposed for August 2006)