Pastor Fecher RE: City Threat of Northlake Eviction

Yesterday our bid to host Nickelsville Northlake Tiny House Village under the city’s religious encampment ordinance was brought to an abrupt end by the City Attorney in conversation with our attorney, Ted Hunter. In a thorough synopsis of the negotiations Mr Hunter wrote me yesterday, the following: "the negotiations with the City Attorney's Office regarding an agreement with the Gift of Grace Lutheran Church to facilitate the ongoing operation of the Northlake Tiny House Village were terminated this morning by the City. This termination was unilateral, as I offered the opportunity to continue what I thought were productive discussions. The City, however, informed me that there was a deadline of noon today to reach an agreement and that the City would never reach agreement to allow a self-empowered and self-sustaining encampment to continue operating, especially if Nickelsville was involved.” (emphasis mine).

At a congregational meeting on November 17, 2019 Gift of Grace agreed to host Nickelsville Northlake Tiny House Village under the city’s religious encampment ordinance. Since then Tim Linnemann and I have worked with Nickelsville, Wallingford neighbors, the Seattle City Council, the mayor’s office, Human Services Department and the Low Income Housing Institute to bring about what should have been an extremely simple agreement to allow a healthy functioning community of otherwise homeless persons to continue to live in their village. In November 2019 former Deputy Mayor Moseley encouraged us that the city might allow it. At that meeting they agreed not to evict the villagers at the December 9 deadline they had imposed. We have been trying to reach an agreement with the city ever since. We even raised $15,000 to cover the rent for the land, should that be needed.

I do not think HSD director, Jason Johnson, speaking for the city, acted in good faith. Their statement that they would never "reach agreement to allow a self-empowered and self-sustaining encampment to continue operating, especially if Nickelsville was involved.” demonstrates their bad faith because we were always clear that our goal was to support the tiny house village according to Nickelsville’s self-empowered and self-managed model — the model the village has been using since they it began 2 years ago.

My goal now is to stand with the Northlake Tiny House Village in whatever comes next for them. I will join with other neighbors in Seattle in continuing to support Nickelsville and its effort to help homeless people organize to help themselves. I will write to the City Council and probably the Seattle Times a review of what has happened. Hopefully the villagers will be allowed to remain where they are until the end of March, which was the original agreement from 2 years ago, an agreement the villagers have every intention of honoring. The Seattle City Council just passed a ban on winter evictions and hopefully that will work in favor of this tiny house village.

I am grateful to God that our congregation has been allowed to serve this city in Christ’s name, even if the service has been frustrating and has not turned out the way we intended. I admire the tenacity and poise of the villagers throughout this ordeal. Justice for the most vulnerable is hard to come by, but worth working for.

Peace and power to you from Christ,

Pastor Jami Fecher

Gift of Grace Lutheran Church