26 May Proposed Encampment Bill

You have the opportunity to make public comment on proposed bill CB 119796, the legislation introduced by Councilmembers Morales, Mosqueda, and Sawant. The proposed legislation would significantly restrict the City’s ability to address unauthorized encampments on both public and private property. 
The legislation will be heard in the Select Committee on Homeless Strategies and Investments, which is chaired by Councilmember Lewis, this Wednesday, May 27 at 2 PM.
If you wish to make public comment, here is the link.http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/public-comment

You can write letters or you can sign up to give verbal comments (up to 2 minutes via your phone) during the council meeting. The sign up for verbal comments opens 2 hours prior to the meeting start time.

Bill overview:

The bill prohibits the City from spending any money in 2020 to remove or relocate unauthorized homeless encampments, unless the encampment is:

• An “active health threat” (but the risk of communicable diseases such as COVID-19 or Hepatitis A does not meet this standard);

• A “fire or safety hazard to infrastructure;”

• Obstructing an entrance or exit to a building;

• An “immediate hazard,” meaning the location creates a risk of serious injury or death to the camper, such as being exposed to moving vehicles or being in a landslide-prone area;

• Located in a children’s play area; or

• Blocking a bike lane, curb ramp, or a sidewalk to the extent that less than 4 feet of passage remains.

Concerns and talking point:  This legislation would significantly limit the Navigation Team’s ongoing efforts to assist unsheltered individuals with referrals to housing and services and address the homelessness crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had a large encampment broken up a few days ago in the C/ID and MANY unsheltered individuals accepted offers for help and shelter. We must keep trying to help and to keep up our outreach. People don’t live on the streets, they die on the streets.

Some other points:

•The legislation prohibits getting people into safer conditions due to communicable diseases such as COVID-19 or Hepatitis A.

• Because there is no public safety exception for removals, the bill therefore prohibits the City from addressing any unauthorized encampments associated with criminal activity.

•The legislation’s restrictions on the City’s ability to address encampments ignores the impacts encampments can have on necessary businesses, and their workers and customers.

• Unless one of the exceptions are met, police officers would be prohibited from removing encampments that are trespassing on private property.

• The legislation effectively authorizes camping across the city. Unless one of the exceptions are met, encampments in open areas at City parks, P-Patches, and nearby schools, senior centers, libraries, and public right-of-way could not be removed.

• The legislation prohibits the Finance and Administrative Services Department from spending funds on encampment removals, which would include the removal of derelict RVs from City streets that are associated with encampments.

• While the legislation allows tents to be removed if less than four feet of passage on sidewalks exists, the legislation still prohibits the removal of tents that are partially obstructing passage. This includes all 167+ miles of sidewalks in all parts of the city – in residential neighborhoods and commercial districts, and adjoining houses, schools, parks, and transit stops as well.

• The legislation creates risk by impacting the City’s ability to enforce existing laws. The proposed legislation would suspend the City’s ability to enforce Park rules including the prohibition on camping; SDOT’s ability to regulate activity on public rights of way; SDCI’s ability to protect environmentally critical areas and shorelines; and SPD’s ability to enforce laws and regulations intended to protect public.