John Wayne has been homeless in Seattle for almost 15 years. In that time, Wayne has become familiar with the sweeps. They happen all the time.
When the city cleans up his tent, he can lose everything. Some of the items he prioritizes over others: hygiene materials, clothing, his sleeping bag. The rest, he says, can be replaced relatively easily.
“I know I can start all over again,” Wayne said.
Wayne, like others living in the large encampment nestled against a wall where I-90 curves east away from I-5, has had to start over many, many times. ...