(Photo courtesy 4PA)
PORT ANGELES — The founder of 4PA told Port Angeles city leaders this week that while his team continues to clean up abandoned homeless encampments, the scale of the problem is growing — and the city needs a clearer plan.
Joe DeScala told the City Council that over the past four and a half years, 4PA has removed more than 400,000 pounds of trash from abandoned camps on city property.
He said the last quarter of 2025 was the busiest yet, with more than 40,000 pounds removed in just three months
“In one waterway alone, we average about 1,500 pounds of garbage removed every single week — 1,920 pounds today, actually. If we stop tomorrow, that accumulation would continue at the same rate. I’ve got the numbers to show it, and these would be directly in sensitive watersheds,” said DeScala.
DeScala stressed that 4PA does not dismantle active camps or take personal belongings, but said abandoned sites are often heavily contaminated — with drug paraphernalia, human waste, rotting food, and debris left behind in sensitive watersheds and green spaces.
He told councilmembers that delays in addressing camps allow damage to compound, pointing to sites that lingered for months before cleanup could begin.
At the same time, DeScala said the issue isn’t about punishing people experiencing homelessness.
He told the council that not everyone living outside behaves the same way — and that caring for people and protecting the community are not mutually exclusive.
“And so, I think some people have the opinion that if we clean up, obviously we’re causing harm and taking people’s things — that you can’t do that and help somebody at the same time. And I don’t think that’s true,” said DeScala.
DeScala urged the city to adopt a formal encampment reporting and response system — including rapid site visits, health and safety rankings, outreach, and clear timelines when camps pose serious risks.
He said without a defined strategy, his team will keep working six days a week — but the problem won’t shrink.
City leaders said the issue will likely return for further discussion as the city weighs next steps.