Nickelsville Joins the Congregation(alists)

63 percent of the University Congregational United Church of Christ voted to open their hearts and their parking lot--at 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45th Street--to the roaming homeless encampment known as Nickelsville.

Since October, University Christian Church had been hosting the 100-plus group of homeless people, but the church needed their parking lot back.

Now the UW Daily's story on the student-homeless person cultural interface seems particularly timely.

On the other hand, what's Nickelsville but another Tent City, which have been roving Seattle's parish parking lots since 2001? CNN says, Get used to 'em. Tent cities are just symptom of a national financial squeeze: "The phenomenon of encampments has caught advocacy groups somewhat by surprise, largely because of how quickly they have sprung up."

Nickelsville, late September 2008, by cajunauzzie, a contributor to the Seattlest Flickr pool.