The homeless encampment, Nickelsville, has moved back to Skyway, after a nearly year-long sojourn through Port of Seattle property and floors and lawns at Seattle churches.

The tent city spent three months in spring 2009 at the Bryn Mawr United Methodist Church on the other side of Skyway from where it is now. It left in June for Seattle.

Now, Nickelsville is on vacant private land along Martin Luther King Jr. Way South at South 129th Street that was home five or six years ago to another tent city that circulates through the Seattle area.

In Bryn Mawr, Nickelsville looked out over downtown Renton and the Cascades. Now, during the day is the constant noise of a gravel pit and the highway.

Nickelsville is named for former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, who did not support temporary measures to house the homeless, preferring a permanent solution.

But Nickelsville organizers have said their whole purpose is to find permanent housing for the homeless. Nickelsville residents have also been called squatters, which is one reason they were booted from the Port of Seattle property in September 2009.

Nickelsville moved to Skyway on May 5, last staying at the Greater Mount Baker Baptist Church in Seattle, which had a grassy area for the tent city.

Richard Gilbert is a resident and spokesman for Nickelsville. He was born in Ballard but spent years out of state. He came home with little money and no place to live.

He lived under the Viaduct and I-5 in Seattle. “I found myself doing the same thing as many other people,” Gilbert said.

He remembers the exact date he found Nickelsville, Sept. 22, 2008. He was on West Marginal Way in Seattle. About 150 tents stretched out in front of him. The sight was “heartbreaking,” he said.

Someone asked him whether he was going to come in. He did.

“At least I had a place to stay,” he said.

Gilbert has made 13 moves with Nickelsville. The population of Nickelsville dropped to 16 after it was evicted from Port of Seattle property, he said.

Now, he said, Nickelsville organizers are trying to get the attention of Nickels’ replacement, Mike McGinn. So far, Gilbert said, the new mayor hasn’t visited Nickelsville.

Organizers want to continue the discussion about finding a permanent place for Nickelsville, he said.

“We can change the name to McGinnville,” he said.

Today, Gilbert, 50, is in Skyway, out in the open with the other residents.

There are roughly 90 tents and about 95 people staying there. There are two families with children. The other tent cities, Tent City 3 and Tent City 4, don’t accept families.

Nickelsville has a code of conduct and rigorous security regulations, including no drugs or alcohol. Regular community meetings are held, including a mandatory one for all on Sundays.

It has the permission of the property owner to stay for 90 days. It also was required to obtain permits to set up the temporary housing.

There is a large kitchen tent and an outdoor grill that moves with Nickelsville. Visitors are required to sign in.

The tent city is just across South 129th Street from where 12-year-old Alajawan Brown died of a gunshot wound April 29.

The King County Sheriff’s Office knows Nickelsville is back in Skyway, an unincorporated area. Sgt. John Urquhart, a sheriff’s spokesman, said tent cities have existed in King County for years.

“We have never had a significant problem with them nor do we gear up manpower-wise because they are there,” he said.

Typically, Nickelsville has had a local sponsor, such as the Bryn Mawr United Methodist Church, to help provide some essentials.

But now it’s going it alone. Donations of food, clothing, firewood, tents and tarps are gratefully accepted, Gilbert said. Candles and gas lanterns aren’t allowed because of fire danger, so residents could use flashlights and batteries.

Supplies can be dropped of during the day at the tent city.

“We need a little bit of everything right now,” Gilbert said.