Seattle Tiny House Villages Accused of Enabling Drug Use

We Heart Seattle activist Andrea Suarez exposes drug dealing and overdoses in taxpayer-funded supportive housing communities

Apr. 1, 2026 at 6:06pm

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Andrea Suarez, the executive director of the advocacy group We Heart Seattle, has accused the city's tiny house villages of harboring drug dealers and enabling rampant drug use, including fentanyl overdoses. Suarez says she was banned from one village after documenting the drug activity, but plans to release more footage exposing the issue.

Why it matters

The revelations about drug use and dealing in Seattle's tiny house villages raise serious concerns about the effectiveness and oversight of these taxpayer-funded supportive housing programs, which are intended to provide shelter and services to the homeless. The allegations also highlight the broader challenge of addressing the city's drug crisis and balancing harm reduction with public safety.

The details

Suarez says the tiny house villages operate under a 'low-barrier' model, meaning there are no requirements for residents to enroll in treatment programs or stop using drugs. She claims this has turned the villages into 'trap houses' where drug dealers live alongside users, who are allowed to use drugs on the premises. Suarez says she has witnessed rampant fentanyl use and even overdoses in the villages, with one site creating a 'designated shack' to try to prevent overdoses.

  • Suarez has been working in this field for 5 years.
  • She was recently banned from a tiny house village after documenting the drug use there.
  • Suarez plans to release more footage exposing the drug activity in the villages.

The players

Andrea Suarez

The executive director of the advocacy group We Heart Seattle, who has been exposing drug use and dealing in Seattle's tiny house villages.

We Heart Seattle

An advocacy group that has been critical of the city's approach to homelessness and supportive housing.

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What they’re saying

“These are low barrier, meaning drugs are allowed inside. There's no requirement to enroll in treatment at these shelters known as tiny house villages.”

— Andrea Suarez, Executive Director, We Heart Seattle

“It still catches me off guard knowing drugs are allowed, knowing that we're harboring drug dealers and giving them free housing for life and permanent supportive housing and tiny house villages, where they're allowed to deal to their neighbors.”

— Andrea Suarez, Executive Director, We Heart Seattle

What’s next

Suarez says she has more footage that will be released soon exposing the drug use and dealing in Seattle's tiny house villages.

The takeaway

The allegations about drug activity in Seattle's tiny house villages raise serious questions about the oversight and effectiveness of these taxpayer-funded supportive housing programs, which are intended to help the homeless but may be enabling dangerous drug use and criminal behavior.