Kitsap County seeks solution as RVs fill Silverdale lot: 'All I want is a place to live'
SILVERDALE — Georgina Gariepy moved to Washington in 2018 to be closer to her grandchildren. But when Kitsap officials said that parking her bedroom trailer at her daughter's house just outside Bremerton violated county code, the 55-year-old had to vacate, destination unknown.
Thus began, in parking lots and road shoulders around the peninsula, a continuous search for a permanent spot to call home — or, at least, a few hours' respite before being told to move along once more.
"We're survivors, but it just sucks," Gariepy said. "I just wish people would try to understand. All I want is a place to live."
Gariepy and her husband have joined a number of RVs and trailers on county public works' property just off Poplars Avenue NW, near the Haselwood YMCA. She said they were told by county officials they could park at the paved site, but Kitsap County leaders say no one has been given permission to stay there.
"We try to keep it clean, and we watch out for each other," she said. "We're just really tired of having no place to go."
The impromptu parking lot of campers, which started arriving about two months ago, is generating a steady stream of complaints, says Kitsap County Commissioner Ed Wolfe. Residents worry about trash and safety at the site if it's allowed to stay longer. There are no electricity hookups nor sewer pump stations there.
Wolfe said the county's team of HEART staff (Homeless Encampment Action Response and Transitions) is working to find permanent homes, including checking for parking lots around Kitsap whose owners are willing to take on the residents and their vehicles. He predicted it won't be long before the site is shut down, though no date is available on when that will happen.
"We are moving forward with trespassing those who won't go," said Wolfe, who added a fence will surround the site once the campers leave. "But we're trying to be as humane and compassionate as we can possibly be."
County officials, including the HEART team, are checking the site frequently, and have found at least 19 people living there — including children.
Every resident there has been registered for the county's Housing Solutions Center, meaning they're in line for housing as it becomes available, according to Doug Washburn, Kitsap County's director of the human services department.
But in a time of a severe housing shortage, that will likely take time.
The county has been cleaning out encampments in places like Veterans Park in Port Orchard and nearby Old Mill Park in Silverdale. But an RV or camper is different than a tent, Wolfe said, and different laws govern how the county can respond.
"Our goal is to lead with compassion," said Jarrod Moran, Kitsap County's recently hired HEART coordinator. "We want to connect people to the resources they need."
Meanwhile, Gariepy and her husband have purchased a Discover Pass and plan to camp at state parks soon. They just need time for her husband to find work so they can get a more permanent location and home.
"We're not here because we want to be," she said. "I just want to be able to take care of my grandkids."
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap County seeks solution as RVs fill Silverdale lot
