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00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f2b910000KUOW is joining forces with other Seattle media outlets to highlight the homeless crisis in the city and region on Wednesday, June 29, 2017.The effort was modeled after a collaboration by more than 70 San Francisco outlets to focus a day of news attention on the issue and possible solutions.Read more about the Seattle project and check out our coverage below. Follow the city's coverage by using #SeaHomeless.HighlightsThe Jungle: an ongoing coverage project going into the notorious homeless encampment under Interstate 5.Ask Seattle's Homeless Community: KUOW is launching a Facebook group where anyone may ask a question about homelessness, but only people who have experienced it may answer. This was inspired by a recent event KUOW co-presented with Seattle Public Library and Real Change, where residents of the Jungle answered audience questions. No End In Sight: an award-winning investigative project from KUOW about King County's 10-year plan to end homelessness.

Seattle starts sweeping homeless people out of the Jungle

Darrel Sutton, after camping in Seattle's Jungle homeless camp for more than a year, moves with help from Union Gospel Mission workers in October 2016.
KUOW photo/Joshua McNichols
Darrel Sutton, after camping in Seattle's Jungle homeless camp for more than a year, moves with help from Union Gospel Mission workers.

Homeless outreach workers and crews from the city of Seattle and the state of Washington are sweeping people out of the homeless camp along Interstate 5 known as the Jungle.

Protesters were there to oppose the sweeps. Some said they planned to gather Tuesday night at Mayor Ed Murray’s house on Capitol Hill and offer him food as a peace offering and try to get him to talk about homelessness.

The city and the state say they’re here for the long haul and if any of the Jungle residents resist moving, they’ll wait them out.

Once the remaining people are gone, the state Transportation Department plans to build access roads in the area.

There were only a handful of campers left there Tuesday morning.

Workers from the Union Gospel Mission were picking through the remaining stuff, the tents and the bags and the garbage sacks, and deciding what is personal belongings and what is garbage.

They’re filling gallon jars with hypodermic needles and taking them to haz-mat and putting personal belongings in plastic containers so homeless people can pick them up later.