Hosting Tent City 3 at UW
Homelessness is a crisis in Washington and across the U.S. In 2024, more than 16,000 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness on a given day in King County. As part of the community’s efforts to address this critical issue, the University of Washington will host Tent City 3 on its Seattle campus for the fourth time during Winter Quarter 2025. The tent-city community will stay for 90 days, providing temporary shelter and support.
Tent City 3 has previously been welcomed by UW in 2017, 2021, and 2023, sheltering between 40 and 60 residents. This year, the community will be in parking lot W-41, across from Condon Hall. Previous stays were near the Fishery Sciences buildings (2017, 2021) and in parking lot E-21 next to the Waterfront Activities Center (2023).
Hosting Tent City 3 reflects UW’s public mission and its commitment to addressing the complex challenges facing our city, state, and beyond. While organized tent cities are not a permanent solution to homelessness, they offer temporary safe shelter where individuals can sleep, store belongings, and access essential services while working or attending appointments. Tent City 3 rotates locations every three months, providing secure housing for individuals, couples, and families.
A program evaluation conducted by the School of Public Health found that Tent City 3’s 2017 stay was a success, largely due to the careful planning and collaboration between UW students, faculty, staff, and the encampment residents.
Maintaining a Safe and Strong Partnership for 2025
The renewed partnership with Tent City 3 was driven by the efforts of Huskies for Housing, a student group at UW, working alongside faculty to bring the tent-city community back for a fourth time. Tent City 3 continues to be a valued partner due to its strict code of conduct and its strong track record of providing a safe and stable environment for its residents. Many of the residents are employed, and several are families with children. For these families and all residents, Tent City 3 helps reduce the heightened risk of becoming victims of crime, a danger faced by many experiencing homelessness.
Tent City 3 has a history in the University District, most recently residing at University Congregational United Church of Christ before moving to UW for Winter Quarter 2025. Their code of conduct prohibits alcohol, drugs, weapons, violence, and open fires. All prospective residents undergo a background check, and individuals on the sex offender registry are not permitted to stay.
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. Hosting Tent City 3 is done without UW tuition or taxpayer dollars.
Learning from and with Our Neighbors
The UW community- students, staff, faculty, and neighbors- have much to learn about the complexities of homelessness. During Tent City 3’s 2017 stay, residents generously shared their insights and experiences with UW students and faculty, fostering meaningful connections between the unhoused community and the university. In that year, eight courses integrated homelessness and housing issues into their curriculum, spanning disciplines such as English, Environmental Studies, Public Policy, and Health Services.
Tent City 3’s presence also inspired service initiatives across campus, led by departments, professional organizations, and student groups, all in collaboration with the encampment residents. These initiatives included:
- A dental clinic offering oral health care to residents
- The first-ever regularly scheduled music program in an encampment
- A 10-week MEDEX course where students learned directly from those experiencing homelessness, the first program in the nation
- A foot care clinic and potluck dinner hosted by nursing students
- Preparing meals and learning about inequitable access to nutritious food
Preparations for Hosting in 2025
Throughout Tent City 3’s stay, the UW project advisory committee will meet weekly to address key issues such as security, safety, health, and sanitation, ensuring the well-being of both TC3 residents and neighboring communities. As in previous residencies, Tent City 3 and UW will establish a formal agreement outlining rights, responsibilities, and a comprehensive safety plan for the duration of the stay.
Contact Information
For more information about this partnership, please email regional@uw.edu.
If you’re interested in getting involved, Huskies for Housing is organizing volunteers. You can follow them on Instagram @huskiesforhousinguw, join their Discord community at this link, or contact them via email at huskiesforhousing@uw.edu.