Last Thursday, a militarized-version of our local police force along with Border Control terrorized our unsheltered neighbors with illegal sweeps here in the progressive-leaning city of Bellingham, Washington.
The officers were not there to “assist,” as Mayor Seth Fleetwood’s public statement attempted to characterize their actions. They did not help anyone, nor did they give many people a chance to gather their belongings. While occupants thought they had more than 24 hours to prepare, they were caught off guard and scrambled to figure out where to head next to exist.
Photo by Douglas Gustafson
Photo by Louis Burrell
For the last three months, community volunteers and a mutual aid collective helped about 150 of the most vulnerable among our more than 1,000 displaced residents in Whatcom County. Located about 90 miles north of Seattle, residents camped in protest outside of City Hall to bring attention to the lack of appropriate and adequate emergency winter sheltering during below freezing temps, as well as a long history of illegal sweeps.
We helped feed and clothe our homeless neighbors, as well as keep them safer than usual when they remain unseen. Housed neighbors have kept washers and dryers running day and night to try to keep some blankets and clothes clean and dry after every storm. The soup brigade and meal trains chugged along.
It is a miracle that no one has frozen to death or died from pneumonia so far, unlike previous winters. It’s thanks to so many selfless volunteers that they haven’t. There are definitely heroes out there doing the heavy lifting.
As I drove around yesterday picking up and dropping off supplies and warm meals for displaced families, I saw many faces from the former City Hall encampment scattered throughout the area. They were sitting in doorways, or asleep on church steps, some just walking to keep moving so they are not hassled for resting … or as others might call it, loitering.
Others departed for the woods, waterways, and various areas out of sight at local parks and greenways. Many went to the local baseball field, where no games are happening. Instead of kids playing catch, there are homeless neighbors trying to band together in a parking lot in an attempt to survive the elements.
Photo by Rebecca Meloy
Some are struggling with addiction, some mental health issues. Others endure physical pain compounded by living in the frigid outdoors. Some just need to dig themselves out of holes, but the dirt keeps getting shoveled on top of their heads.
By 4 p.m. Friday, February 5 (the time of this writing), the powers that be may decide to shoo away the people staying in the park again. It’s been eight days since the last nightmare, and the disregard of CDC guidelines during a pandemic continues. They also ignore the Ninth District Superior Court Ruling that says sweeps are illegal if there are not enough appropriate shelter beds available for everyone, which there are not.
As they prepare to illegally sweep the temporary camp, they will again deny their neighbors’ humanity because of their lack of a physical address. The irony is a physical home is something that gets pushed further and further from grasp each time their lack of housing is criminalized – their IDs and phones thrown to the wayside by a backhoe.
Photo by Rebecca Meloy 2
Volunteers will reach in their pockets to replace the tents the officers just threw away, which by law is not what they are supposed to do. We’ll help restock the food tent and drop off toiletries. We will bring more boots and rain jackets, It’s the right thing to do since there is nowhere else they can keep warm and feel safe.
And the expensive, unproductive game of homeless sweeps starts all over again. Tax payers pick up the bill. There is no progress. No case managers will show up. No social workers or drug counselors will help. They have all decided it’s too aggressive and unruly at the camps – despite the fact that untrained, unpaid volunteers are out there doing their jobs for them.
No one will be any closer to attaining housing, but they will be more disenfranchised and traumatized. When homeless people get treated like trash, they get the message loud and clear.
