Seattle is moving to clear a large encampment near 42nd Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South after issuing emergency orders on Sept. 29, following a recent violent incident officials said posed an imminent threat to public safety. The site, near the Rainier Beach and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, has drawn years of complaints from nearby residents and property owners. The city says agencies are coordinating outreach and cleanup, and that people living at the encampment will be offered housing options and asked to leave or accept assistance. A man was killed in a shootout at the encampment in 2025. Neighbors and business owners have also reported break-ins, property damage and other criminal activity. Cleanup crews estimate the work could take at least several weeks because the site includes abandoned vehicles, hazardous materials and other debris. Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections spokesperson said the recent violence prompted the emergency orders. The department has been working with the city’s Unified Care Team, Seattle police, the City Attorney’s Office and private property owners on next steps. Property owners say the encampment grew after their earlier requests for help went unanswered. In a notice of claim, the owners said the site expanded from one vehicle and trash into a settlement with structures, burned and stolen vehicles, hazardous waste and violent crime, increasing the cost of remediation. One owner, Jay Wampold, said city officials had required coordination with police before owners could address the property themselves, but that police stopped responding. Neighbor Andrew Rauch described conditions as a humanitarian crisis and called for city intervention. The response now puts the city’s public-safety and cleanup efforts alongside the need to connect unhoused residents with shelter or housing. Officials have not provided a detailed timeline for the full operation beyond the estimate that cleanup will take several weeks.