Summary

King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Kathy Lambert released a statement after legislation they sponsored that would create guidelines for removing homeless encampments in unincorporated King County failed by a vote of the Local Services Committee.

Story

King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Kathy Lambert issued the following statement after legislation they sponsored that would create guidelines for removing homeless encampments in unincorporated King County failed by a vote of the Local Services Committee:

“It is disheartening that the Committee would refuse to even engage in a conversation about how to provide housing and support services to people currently living in County parks or other County-owned property. Our parks, roads, and trails are overly burdened by tents, trash, and crime. It is past time we found a compassionate, common sense solution to maintaining our public spaces for everyone.

“The Committee’s rejection today of creating basic guidelines for what conditions make it allowable to remove homeless encampments—such as violence, crime, or the presence of untreated sewage or biohazardous waste—is neglectful of our duty to the families and businesses who now must bear the burden of these conditions with no recourse.

“It is not compassionate to look away from the growing problem of homeless encampments—it is indifference. Our communities and our most vulnerable deserve better.”