Tent City 3 (TC3) provides a safe, secure place for homeless individuals and families while they seek work and housing. Operating since 2000, TC3 hosts up to 100 people in a communal encampment. It has been hosted by the UW in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2025, as well as by Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and nearby churches.
UW will host Tent City 3 (TC3) starting December 21, 2024 for 90 days.
Tent City 3’s return to UW was led by Huskies for Housing, a student group that partnered with faculty to bring the encampment back for a fourth time. Hosting TC3 aligns with the UW’s public mission to tackle pressing challenges in our city, state, and beyond. UW faculty, students, and staff are actively involved in addressing homelessness- through research on its root causes, developing solutions, and volunteering with organizations like Huskies for Housing.
After previous stays near the Fishery Sciences buildings (2017, 2021) and in parking lot E-21 by the Waterfront Activities Center (2023), Tent City 3 will move to parking lot W41, across from Condon Hall. Following a review with UW’s Facilities team, W41 was the only available site that met TC3’s requirements: a relatively flat hardscape with access to electricity, water, and transit.
The UW does not use any tuition dollars or taxpayer money for this mission-driven work.
Hosting Tent City 3 offers transformative learning experiences for UW students and creates opportunities to connect with academic studies. During TC3’s 2017 stay residents shared their experiences with students and faculty, fostering meaningful connections between the unhoused community and the university. That year, eight courses across disciplines like English, Environmental Studies, Public Policy, and Health Services incorporated homelessness and housing into their curriculum. Students can engage in experiential learning on these issues and volunteer through Huskies for Housing.
The safety of students, employees, and Tent City 3 residents is UW’s top priority. TC3 is a well-organized community with a strict code of conduct prohibiting drugs, alcohol, violence, and sex offenders. UWPD works closely with TC3 to develop a security plan, which includes 24/7 monitoring by TC3 residents in coordination with UWPD.
Access to safe, clean and reliable housing for all Seattle residents is critical, especially when addressing the spread of COVID-19. The partnership between UW and SHARE, which oversees Tent City 3, is governed by a detailed safety, hygiene, and security plan, along with a signed agreement outlining responsibilities during the hosting period.
An evaluation conducted following the UW’s hosting of TC3 in 2017 showed that the presence of the TC3 community had a positive impact on feelings of community safety, due to the security practices of tent cities and strict codes of conduct followed by their residents.
Tent cities provide a critically important resource during longer-term work to end homelessness. In 2024, more than 16,000 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness on a given day in King County. Finding a safe place to sleep every night is exhausting and leaves little room for anything else. Tent cities provide a reliable, safe place for people to stay, allowing residents to focus on searching for work, finding more permanent housing, and other priorities.