Portland seeks street camping ban; Would Seattle consider doing the same?
PORTLAND, Ore. — The City of Portland’s Council is voting on whether to ban camping on city streets, and sidewalks during daylight hours.
It is part of a continued shift within that city on how it addresses chronic homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health. Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler forwarded the legislation to settle a lawsuit which claims that homeless encampments blocking sidewalks violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Wheeler said in a previous interview with KOMO News that he, and his staff, are in regular communication with Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and other west coast mayors.
Seattle and Washington state have shown a tendency through the COVID-19 years to follow major policy decision in Oregon and California. Is this another example?
KOMO News asked Harrell, City Attorney Ann Davison, and all nine council members two questions:
- Are you following Portland’s issues and is there anything that city is doing that would work here?
- Do you believe a similar camping ban is needed here?
Council member Teresa Mosqueda was asked directly at a event to rally support for an almost $1 billion housing levy. She first said that Seattle is a national leader when it comes to housing, but said she’d get back to KOMO News about the camping ban.
Harrell’s office, along with council members Andrew Lewis and Lisa Herbold responded to the inquiry, with varied responses.
While we are always looking to other local and regional governments for successes and best practices, our current focus is on implementing neighborhood based UCT teams, advancing record housing investments, and working with the KCRHA to ensure an effective regional approach. Working with the KCRHA and contracted outreach providers, our Unified Care Team is helping people move indoors on a pathway to recovery at the same time we work to keep parks, sidewalks, and public spaces accessible to all. The City follows the MDARs, which outline how encampments in certain public spaces can be addressed. Through the Unified Care Team, the City has created and tested a prioritization process that uses a data-driven approach to assess and resolve encampments. Consideration includes factors such as if there is a full or partial mobility impact, whether there is insufficient clearance for a wheelchair, and whether entrances are blocked.
Herbold, in an email, told KOMO News: “Seattle's sidewalk ordinance has banned lying or sitting on sidewalks in the city's business areas between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.”
Lewis, who represents downtown wrote:
Seattle responds to encampments obstructing sidewalks through our new Unified Care Team (UCT), which works to ensure mobility on public right-of-way is not hindered. Similarly, the UCT diligently provides outreach and relocation assistance to encampment residents in public parks. As a result, encampments are down 42%, and 92% of our parks and open spaces do not currently have any encampment presence. These services are already being delivered without the need for any additional statute or authority
The others did not respond.