A camp of homeless people has been offered a new location in the parking lot of University Congregational United Church of Christ, situated at 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45th Street. Congregation members voted by about 160 to 90 to allow the camp at its paid parking lot. The lot sits at a busy intersection and across the street from the University of Washington and an office building.

The tent encampment, known as "Nickelsville," that has temporarily housed about 100 people, has been staying on the University Christian Church's parking lot since October, but the church had asked them to leave because they need to use the lot. The encampment moved to the church on October 10 after having to leave Discovery Park.

The group illegally set up 150 pink tents Sept. 22 on a patch of city-owned land near West Marginal Way Southwest and Highland Park Way Southwest. They called the encampment "Nickelsville," a jab at Mayor Nickelsville’s homelessness policies.

In October, city officials removed the "Nickelodians" from their original location, saying homeless were not allowed to simply camp on public land. The city issued a statement, saying it must deal with a disproportionate amount of the region’s homeless and that nearly 50 percent of people that sleep in city shelters are from outside Seattle. The city already has a legally recognized homeless encampment located at Haller Lake United Methodist Church, organized by the Seattle Housing And Resource Effort and the Women's Housing, Equality and Enhancement League.

The camp’s name comes from supporters critical of Mayor Greg Nickels’ homeless policies.