SPOKANE, Wash. – A roundtable meeting provided an open forum for Spokane residents to discuss unlawful camping and homelessness with city council members.
Residents like Kerry Johnson have been urging city officials to address neighborhood issues. “I’ve been bugging the city council members for about a month now about problems that are occurring in my neighborhood, and it’s built up over a couple of years,” Johnson said.
Unlawful camping has been a significant concern. Johnson emphasized the need for stricter ordinances, saying, “Right now they are just cleaning up after them. They need to have a little tighter ordinance.”
Current city code prevents police from citing individuals for illegal camping on public property if homeless shelters are full. One community member expressed frustration, stating, “Because if you say, ‘when there’s not enough space it’s not enforceable’ you are shooting yourself in the foot.”
Theresa Bain-Broach, who experienced homelessness following a cancer diagnosis, shared her perspective. “I understand and I see everything you are talking about, but we have to go past just the drug addiction,” she said.
The meeting also explored solutions like pop-up housing, which the city of Vancouver has implemented. These temporary communities provide services and safe living conditions to help individuals transition out of homelessness. Bain-Broach suggested, “Tiny homes. There’s a restroom, a wash bin, and then there’s a main building. I think this needs to be looked into because if we can purchase some property and get these people off the streets, that’s gonna be important.”
Across Washington, counties offer “Safe Stay” housing options with amenities like laundry, hand washing, garbage services, and showers.
The meeting raised the question of penalties for unlawful camping. Many agreed that fines are unproductive and simply moving people along prolongs the problem. Johnson commented on the enforcement of camping laws, saying, “They are very loose. Hard to enforce.”
The final community roundtable is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, before a town hall will outline the city council’s next steps in addressing Spokane’s homeless crisis.
