Seattle couple explains why they're building a home in the median of an interstate ramp

SEATTLE (KOMO) — Drivers who enter I-5 at Seattle's Mercer Street on-ramp pass by a growing encampment for the unhoused that is obscured behind trees and repurposed "welcome to South Lake Union" banners.

Inside the camp, Kandice and Mark, who asked to be identified only by their first names, are busy building their home.

99 percent of this house is stuff that came out of dumpsters," Mark told KOMO. "We don’t have a house or a home right now and this is how we know to survive.

Mark said it's taken him about a month to build the tiny house, which includes an A-framed roof, foundation, window, and door.

We found ourselves on the sidewalk after that with all our stuff just trying to guard it. We figured we'd build this structure here because it's better than just a tent," he said.

The house is going up in the same encampment where KOMO reported last week about a series of fires, threats with weapons, and damage to the Seattle City and Light power infrastructure.

The property where they are building the house belongs in part to the Seattle Department of Transportation and Washington Department of Transportation. Both agencies told KOMO they are aware of the encampment and coordinating on how to deal with it.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed the Mercer Street encampment in an interview with KOMO on Tuesday.

"What we are trying to do thru using utility discounts and our housing strategies is meeting people where they are and getting them sheltered in places they don't have to do that. It's unsafe, unlawful and we don't suggest people do that all it's intolerable for our administration," Harrell said.