Monday was moving day for Tent City 4 residents on the Eastside.
About 30 campers have been living at the campground at Lake Sammamish State Park. They spent part of November and all of December at the campground. Tent City 4 participants say they had hoped the state would grant them another extension so they could stay put.
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Tent City 4 organizers plan to relocate to Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Sammamish on Feb. 6. Tent City 4 participants will be able to stay at the church for at least three months and will have access to power, a warm shower and a washer/dryer. They will also have the strong support from the congregation.
Tent City 4 organizers don't have a place to move the camp in the meantime and say the state told them on Saturday their time at the park would not be extended.
Campers and volunteers loaded up moving trucks with supplies and belongings Monday. Tent City 4 is moving to the High Point exit off Interstate 90 near Issaquah. The camp was located in the same place last summer. While organizers don't have a permit for Monday's relocation, they are a hopeful King County's proclamation of emergency on homelessness, signed in November, will allow them to stay.
Bobbi Ehly and her dog CC were getting their tent set up in High Point Monday afternoon. "People need to realize that just because we're homeless some of it is not because we want to be, it is circumstances and we're trying to get on our feet," said Ehly.
Tent City 4 campers say living together is a community, they look out for each other.
"You're safe here. You can work, you can leave your stuff here. You don't have to cart your stuff to work, your backpack," said Perry, who thinks he's moved 14 times as part of a tent city.
Monday's move took the campers further from bus routes and jobs. They hope to stay at High Point for 41 days.
They will move to Sammamish in February.
KIRO 7 contacted the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and was told state law does not allow camping in parks to exceed 40 days.
Tent City 4 has been hosted by Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church before.
There is a community meeting about Tent City 4 at the church on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.