Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen pushes for greater public safety with legislation to remove dangerous encampments
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Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen pushes for greater public safety with legislation to remove dangerous encampments
As Washington continues to deal with the third largest homeless population in the nation, and homeless encampments keep spreading into more communities, Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen has filed a bill that would mandate and fund the removal of dangerous camps near several locations, including schools, parks, and child day care centers.
“People don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods. Even walking to and from school and other family-friendly gathering spaces can feel dangerous,” said Jacobsen, R-Puyallup. “This is a public safety issue that needs to be addressed. Children should not have to worry about stepping on needles or being harassed on their way to school or while playing at the park.”
Crime in homeless camps is rampant, including murder, sexual assault, human trafficking, and substance abuse. Nearby retailers experience increased theft, and fires can spread to homes and businesses. Homeless camps also attract rats, needles, and other dangerous debris. They are bad for public health and create environmental hazards to soil and water due to the lack of bathrooms and running water.
“Localities that have been trying to clear homeless encampments have faced enormous costs, and despite the overwhelming public support for clearing dangerous encampments, localities have been hard-pressed to find the funding to do so. This bill would supply grants to help localities clear the encampments and hopefully steer any willing individuals to the services they need.”
Washington has been dealing with a homelessness crisis for several years despite the former governor claiming this to be a top priority. Things have not improved. The majority party has introduced new programs and spent more money without any actual results. Things have gotten worse.
- From 2022-2024, the number of homeless individuals in Washington increased by 25%.
- Washington ranks fourth in the number of homeless veterans, both in total and per capita.
- Washington has the fourth-largest number of unaccompanied youths experiencing homelessness.
- More than 41,000 students experienced homelessness sometime during the 2023-24 school year. That’s a nearly 15% increase from the year before.
While House Bill 1255 calls for the removal of dangerous homeless camps from areas near schools and parks, it also aims to provide cities with the necessary tools to rehabilitate people experiencing homelessness.
“We need to do something different to address these camps and help these individuals,” said Jacobsen. “Moving camps is ineffective and expensive. The homeless simply come back or move up the road and start camping in a different location, creating the same set of problems in another location. We need to help these individuals by offering substance abuse and mental health treatment, and create more affordable housing for them to live in.”
Under HB 1255, counties that are required to participate would have to adopt an ordinance making it unlawful for any person to camp on public property within 500 ft of the following locations:
- Public or private elementary or secondary schools.
- School walk areas, as determined under rules promulgated by the superintendent of public instruction.
- Child day care centers.
- Public parks.
- County courthouses.
- Areas that have been the site of an illegal encampment with more than one police response for violence in the past month.
- Areas that the county has identified as necessary to avoid water contamination.
A county not required to adopt the specified ordinance may choose to do so. It would also be eligible for grant money under the same conditions as counties that are required to adopt the ordinance.
HB 1255 now waits for a hearing in the House Local Government Committee.
