TC3 stands for Tent City 3, a sanctioned encampment for unhoused individuals in Seattle. TC3 provides a safe, secure place for homeless individuals and families while they seek work and housing. Operating since 2000, TC3 hosts up to 100 people in a communal encampment. It has been hosted by the UW in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2025, as well as by Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and nearby churches. They are currently located near the Mt. Baker Station.

Tent cities provide a critically important resource during longer-term work to end homelessness. In 2024, more than 16,000 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness on a given day in King County. Finding a safe place to sleep every night is exhausting and leaves little room for anything else. Tent cities provide a reliable, safe place for people to stay, allowing residents to focus on searching for work, finding more permanent housing, and other priorities.

Tent City 3’s return to UW was led by Huskies for Housing, a student group that partnered with faculty to bring the encampment back for a fourth time. Hosting TC3 aligns with the UW’s public mission to tackle pressing challenges in our city, state, and beyond. UW faculty, students, and staff are actively involved in addressing homelessness- through research on its root causes, developing solutions, and volunteering with organizations like Huskies for Housing.

Hosting Tent City 3 offers transformative learning experiences for UW students and creates opportunities to connect with academic studies. During TC3’s 2017 stay residents shared their experiences with students and faculty, fostering meaningful connections between the unhoused community and the university. That year, eight courses across disciplines like English, Environmental Studies, Public Policy, and Health Services incorporated homelessness and housing into their curriculum. Students can engage in experiential learning on these issues and volunteer through Huskies for Housing.