By Zach Watson with contributions from Shane Harms

At the new transitional homeless encampment in Ballard (2826 N.W. Market Street) the tents are lifted off the ground on pallets. Blue tarps cover them. Gravel paths lead residents and visitors from the chain link gate, passed the administration hut and tiny homes, through the labyrinth of tents to the kitchen tent at the back of the property. A propane grill sits in front of out makeshift kitchen. Inside donated food is stacked on two foldout tables. A pile of trash bags filled with clothes and blankets sits on the floor.

The scene is a total transformation from last summer when the empty Seattle City Light substation was a barren and contaminated site. After an environmental remediation and volunteer construction, it has become a clean and organized tent city and home to 24 people.

“People have been coming out. I mean we’ve got a meal calendar to where people are bringing it daily,” said Matt Hannahs, resident and Camp Arbitrator.

Hannahs lives in one of the tiny houses with his partner, the External Affairs Coordinator, and their six-year-old son. They’ve been there for a month and have been instrumental in the progress and administration of the camp.

“It’s going really well. We got a lot of clothing donations…and what’s great is that there are a lot of organizations dropping off sleeping bags — and like really good sleeping bags…like the negative 15 (degree) sleeping bags.”

The family is using the site as a “stepping stone,” and said that they are working with the Low Income and Housing Institute to find affordable housing. Their son goes to Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, which was close to the Dearborne camp where they lived before moving to Ballard.

Hannahs said that among the 24 residents there are people of all walks of life, but the majority of them are single adults. He reported that there is one vacancy at the site for one couple.

A major obstacle the residents of Nickelsville have overcome is a way to stay dry amid a cold, rainy winter. They’ve built platforms that keep the tents off the wet ground. They also built wooden frames around all the tents to secure tarps that act as “tent skins” to protect them from rain. The tarps also protect against the wind and help to retain heat.

Along with beefing up their tents, the community has evolved clear rules and expectations that keep residents accountable. The organization is simple. A resident must perform security duties for a “rent credit,” which means they sit at the front security desk three hours a week. Everyone has his or her turn, and the head of security makes sure that everyone complies. They must also attend City Council meetings or other community meetings once a month, a practice that keeps campers aware of community action. However, there are exceptions. If residents cannot make the meetings because of their jobs, they can opt out and pick up trash around Ballard for an hour every week.

In addition, the arbitrator has the power to mediate a disagreement. If the result of his mediation isn’t positive, residents have a vote to determine if someone will be asked to leave the encampment. Hannahs said that this has usually happened when someone was using drug or alcohol in camp — which is not allowed — and/or threatened the order of the encampment.

But even with constructing a clean and organized encampment, they still remain without running potable water or electricity. Ironically the site sits on a Seattle City Light property — SCL being the primary provider of electricity in Seattle.

“Pretty sure that they have connections for water…but not sure what the red tape is with that. But it’s just another thing we are gonna have to go through. And we’re gonna do it diligently. …When we first started talking about this all that (utilities) was available. And towards the end, we don’t know what happened to it.”

Scott Thomsen with SCL told the Ballard News-Tribune that the encampment is like any other potential customer in Seattle, and SCL crews can connect the encampment to the electrical grid.

“Yes, it’s possible,” said Thomsen. “However, the real issue is who’s going to pay for it?”

Right now LIHI acts as the financial manager between the city and Nickelsville Ballard; LIHI works with the Seattle Human Services Department to make sure the encampment receives the funding they need and that it is used for the “appropriate” applications.

The BNT was unable to connect with LIHI or DHS for comment before the holiday deadline; however, reporters intend to determine if there are plans to follow through with electricity and water at the site.

“We are gonna work with the city. We are gonna make sure that everything we do is by the book. We don’t want to cause trouble for this neighborhood…and electricity and water are two of the basic needs,” said Hannahs.