Homeless advocates close downtown protest camp, declare victory The camp is expected to be shut down by the end of Monday

The protest homeless camp at the King County Administration building is expected to be shut down and cleaned up by the end of the day Monday. The protest homeless camp at the King County Administration building is expected to be shut down and cleaned up by the end of the day Monday. Photo: KOMO Photo: KOMO Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Homeless advocates close downtown protest camp, declare victory 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Dozens of people are leaving a downtown homeless camp for the last time Monday after winning a five-month-long protest to reopen other shelters in the area.

The protest camp, in the heart of downtown Seattle just outside the King County Administration Building, will be shut down by the end of the day.

Advocates are calling the closure of the camp a win, months after several shelters in the city lost funding and had to close. The downtown camp sprang up as a protest to restore those funds.

The funds have now been restored, after officials with SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women's Housing and Enhancement League) worked with local leaders to make it happen. Now that the funding is restored, many of the people at the downtown camp will be able to move back to a safer indoor shelter, as of Monday night.

Meanwhile, camp occupants are packing up and cleaning up around the King County Administration Building for the last time

"We're going to be cleaning all day, getting this ready for the county to take over, and we're going to open our shelter around 7 in the evening," says Courtney O'Toole of the Share Executive Committee.

Many people who have walked by the camp over the past few months may not have even realized it was a protest.

The campers will all be moving to a shelter where they must be qualified to stay.