A homeless encampment removal was postponed on Tuesday, Jan. 13, after Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson visited the site and spoke with people living there.
The encampment is located at NW 41st St and the Burke-Gilman Trail, where 17 people are currently residing. On Monday, camp residents were given notice to vacate within 48 hours. Wilson visited the site on Tuesday to “understand in detail for myself what’s working and not working in our current approach,” Wilson said in a statement.
A few years ago, the city installed large concrete blocks to discourage people from camping there (see photo above), and it’s been cleared multiple times in the past.
“I decided to extend the deadline for this site to allow more time to assess whether we can improve outcomes for the people living there, for their neighbors, and for local businesses,” she said.
“Meaningful progress on homelessness means finding solutions that bring more people inside, instead of moving them from place to place. That’s why my administration will soon be announcing concrete steps to expedite the expansion of emergency shelter and will move quickly to open new shelter space.”
While this Ballard encampment removal is delayed, Wilson’s office has resolved over 100 encampment and RV sites since January 4, according to city data.
Councilmember Dan Strauss told The Seattle Times that the city’s approach should “better connect people experiencing homelessness to the resources they need,” but also said inaction isn’t the answer.
Wilson said her office will soon announce steps that will expand emergency shelter and open new shelter space.
Photo: The city installed concrete blocks several years ago to discourage camping. (Google Image Capture Sept. 2025)