Local

Seattle's mayor partners with state to clean up ‘The Jungle'

SEATTLE — Melissa Fasano lives in a place that is out of sight and often out of mind for most Seattle residents. "This is our space. It’s way better than a tent,” said Fasano.

Fasano lives in the infamous homeless encampment known as, “The Jungle.”  She took us inside the makeshift house that she and her boyfriend, Butch, call home. "Sorry this is like on a dirty day," said Fasano.  Outside their front door, you can hear the constant clamor of cars on I-5.   The area is littered with trash. "My goodness, if I saw it from a view from the city where it just looks like a littered, dirty, garbage highway, I would not want that there either."

The city has vowed to clear out and clean up "The Jungle."  On Wednesday, Mayor Ed Murray made a 14-word statement during a news conference that raised eyebrows and prompted questions about whether there is really a plan in place.  "I don't have the answers. We're actually making this up as we go along," said Murray.

It was a statement that left talk radio and others questioning if there is a flawed approach to solving the homeless crisis. "Yeah, that's the answer.  They're making everything up as they go along. They have asked us for an incredible public investment, an extra $50 million a year and they have no clue how to deal with this problem," said talk show host Dori Monson on KIRO-FM.

The mayor's press secretary, Jason Kelly, told KIRO-TV, "… that one specific comment reflects his willingness to continue to evolve the strategy as we learn more about what works best."

Back in “The Jungle,” Melissa Fasano found candor and comfort in the mayor’s words. “He's learning from us. I think that he's trying to wait until he gets more information on how to work with the community." As the city looks for a solution to the homeless crisis, Fasano looks for a better life beyond the roar of both “The Jungle” and the interstate. "We didn't just try to get here. It's not like you wanted to be born poor."