Washington state spent over $700,000 on boulders to deter homeless camps in some areas. But one official told BI the state first offered shelter to the homeless, and a majority accepted it. The state spent approximately $718,000 on large boulders placed along areas where homeless people had previously congregated and camped, particularly near busy highways. Advertisement"Rocks are being used at very specific locations to prevent re-encampment and that use is quite small relative to the number of encampments we have across the state," Abrudan said. The state placed boulders in areas near the state capital of Olympia and along Interstate 5.

---

Persons: —, Kris Abrudan, Abrudan Organizations: Service, Washington, Fox, Washington State Department of Transportation Locations: Washington, Seattle, Olympia