Tacoma council member wants to restrict where homeless camps can be. Here’s his proposal

Tacoma City Council member John Hines intends to introduce a ordinance next week that would prohibit unsanctioned homeless camps within 10 blocks of temporary homeless shelters already established in the city.

The proposed ordinance would ban encampments near Tacoma Emergency Micro-Shelter Sites at 6th Avenue and Orchard Street; South 69th Street and Proctor Street; 60th Street and McKinley Avenue; the stability site at 1421 Puyallup Ave.; the mitigation sites at South 82nd Street and Pacific Avenue and 3561 Pacific Avenue, the RISE Center Emergency Stabilization Shelter, Altheimer Memorial Church of God in Christ, Bethlehem Baptist Church and Shiloh Baptist Church.

The buffer would prohibit camping and the storage of personal belongings around those sites on public property.

Hines said in an interview with The News Tribune on Thursday his goal is to encourage those in encampments to seek shelter and give temporary shelters relief from encampments being set up near them.

Hines said neighborhoods that have a temporary shelter site should not be burdened with an unsanctioned encampment in the area, too.

The city of Tacoma declared a public health emergency in 2017 to address the health and safety concerns caused by growing encampments. This year’s Pierce County point-in time count found 1,851 people were experiencing homelessness, but the county estimates it’s likely about 4,300 people are homeless in the county.

Hines lives near the TEMS site at 6th Street and Orchard and considers it a success. Initially, his neighbors raised concerns it would attract problems outside the shelter, but it’s quiet and clean, he said. But with other TEMS sites, that is not the case, Hines said, pointing to the 69th Street and Proctor Street TEMS site and Altheimer Memorial Church, at 1121 S. Altheimer St.

The TEMS at 69th and Proctor site is fenced and quiet, but there is a large encampment right outside, he said.

“We had told that neighborhood, 69th and Proctor, ‘We’re going to bring this in here. We’re going to set up this facility. This is the path forward to end homelessness is to provide shelter and housing for people,’” Hines said. “When they look at that facility and they see the encampment that’s over there ... it’s this disconnect.”

He also said Altheimer Memorial Church serves 31 people without homes, but people ask about the huge encampments outside.

Hines said he wants it to be clear that with sanctioned temporary shelters, “we don’t usually have any challenges or issues when we provide shelter for people when they come off the streets.

“Where we continue to have issues is encampments,” he said.

He said he also wants to prevent a “spillover effect” on shelter sites that are helping people who may be trying to “come off drugs or get away from that environment,” but there are encampments that they can easily return to.

Hines presented the proposed ordinance at Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting Friday morning and received push back.

Members said the ordinance assumes people can move and access shelter services. Others said there needs to be more shelters and resources for people who are homeless. Gerrit Nyland, Pierce County social services supervisor, said on a typical night there are about 30 congregate shelter beds available.

A poll at the end of the discussion showed 48% of participants were against the ordinance, 16% were for and 28% were undecided.

Rob Huff, a coalition member and the meeting’s facilitator, said lack of housing availability and lack of affordability needs to be a priority, and that moving someone into shelter is great for the “tonight” problem but doesn’t solve homelessness.

Cathy Pick said when the council proposed an ordinance last year to prevent public property to be used for camping and storing personal property, the majority of the community did not want a camping ban.

“It seems like this is yet another end run around the will of the people,” she said. “We don’t want it. We don’t need it. It’s expensive. It costs money to even have this conversation, where we could be putting those funds directly into services that would benefit the homeless.”

Clinton Brink, a member, said to the coalition they were missing the main point of the proposed ordinance. Most neighborhoods are already extremely resistant to installing more shelter facilities, he said.

“This regulation should incentivize more shelter construction,” Brink said. “It should reduce these neighborhood’s aversion to building shelters in their community.”

Hines said the city would need to set up more shelter sites, including safe parking and lower barrier. He said he believes the time is right for the ordinance, which could be adopted by the end of the month with council approval. The city is opening a site at 3561 Pacific Ave. to serve 50 people next month. A shelters also is planned in Lakewood at a former hotel that can house 120 people.

Hines said he sees the ordinance as a way to help the city get an understanding of those who are hardest to reach.

“Who are the people that are not going into our shelter system that really needs something and what is that?” he said.

To create the buffer zones, the city would continue to do its outreach program and connect people who are living in encampments with resources. The 72-hour notice for encampment sweeps would stay. For those who refuse to move out of the buffer area, there will be a criminal penalty of a misdemeanor, a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Zara Sedore-Mallin said during Friday’s meeting that she has been homeless and had to move all her belongings when she was hungry and sick without a car.

She urged Hines to walk a mile in those shoes and socks carrying a tent, any food and personal items with a possible criminal charge.

“Everyone wants people to be housed, to be fed, to be safe, but very much the attitude that is being given off by a lot of what council is proposing is we want you out of here because it makes us uncomfortable to look at you and it makes us feel uncomfortable to have your safety near us.”

Members also questioned why 10 blocks was the chosen buffer.

The city of Everett passed a “no-sit, no-lie” ordinance March 2021 that criminalized sitting or lying on streets and sidewalks in a 10-block area of its business district. Hines said he would look to Everett for guidance on how to demonstrate what blocks are the buffer zone.

The ordinance is co-sponsored by council members Joe Bushnell, District 5, and Sarah Rumbaugh, District 2.

The city’s study session is noon Tuesday and can be viewed in person at the Tacoma Municipal Building Council Chambers, 747 Market St., or virtually at cityoftacoma.org/councilmeetings.