The majestic views of downtown Seattle from Dr. Jose Rizal Park once drew tourists from around the world. The hilltop park in Beacon Hill was a must-see spot for its sweeping vistas of the skyline and stadiums, while local families gathered for picnics and children played on the jungle gym. Now, more than a dozen tents crowd the park, fentanyl foils litter the ground near the playground, and a man lies motionless under a dirty gray blanket in the picnic shelter, barely responding when We Heart Seattle Director Andrea Suarez gently kicks his feet to check if he’s alive.
The rapid return of homeless encampments to this park overlooking the city’s skyline has neighbors and advocates worried that it signals what’s to come when Mayor-elect Katie Wilson takes office in January with promises to end encampment sweeps and expand Housing First policies.
“This is going to be an inflow nightmare,” Suarez said during a recent tour of the park with KIRO Newsradio. “What’s going through my mind is what’s going through the mind of the drug addict, what’s going through the mind of the criminal. They are going to come to Seattle.”…