20-year-old homeless encampment moves to Tukwila church

TUKWILA, WA. -- A homeless encampment, once near Seattle’s Ravenna area, has moved more than 90 times in its nearly 20-year history, and it now calls Tukwila home.

Tent City 3 faced an uncertain future.

Now, the homeless encampment with more than 50 people, moved into an area behind the Riverton Park United Methodist Church.

“People are afraid of us,” Laurie Campbell, who lives in Tent City 3, said. “We were coming in with tents.”

Campbell has lived in Tent City 3 for nearly a year. She says she had a home and a job, but she then fell on hard times.

Campbell says Tent City 3 is the best option for her.

She says the camp will not allow any drug or alcohol use. She says everyone staying at the camp has a background check, and the people staying at the camp work to keep the area clean.

“They’re just trying to survive,” said Joey Hodson, who lives across the street from where the camp moved in.

Officials with the camp say they have a permit to stay at the church for the next four months.