CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to land use and zoning; amending Sections 23.42.054, 23.54.015, 23.76.004, 23.76.006, 23.76.032, and 23.84A.038 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and adding new Section 23.42.056; to permit transitional encampments for homeless individuals as an interim use on City-owned or private property.
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WHEREAS, there is a well-documented history of homelessness in Seattle and a demonstrated need for additional facilities to address the issue;
WHEREAS, the current crisis of homelessness is impacted by a broad number of other societal challenges, including the growth of poverty and inequality, and the erosion of state and federal investments in our criminal justice, mental health, substance abuse, foster care and safety net systems, which have compounded in a crisis that requires the response of not just government, but by our entire community;
WHEREAS, since 2010, the number of people sleeping without shelter in Seattle has increased nearly 42 percent, to more than 2,800 people counted in the 2015 One Night Count;
WHEREAS, in the fall of 2010 a Citizen Review Panel on Housing and Services for Seattle's Unsheltered Homeless Population recommended that the City establish a transitional encampment to help meet the immediate survival and safety needs of individuals without access to safe shelter;
WHEREAS, the City's focus on solutions for people who are homeless should be a roof-over-head and services to connect individuals with a pathway toward long-term housing, however, the current capacity of our housing and homeless services continuum cannot meet the needs of all those who are homeless and, as an alternative, tent encampments can offer a sense of safety and community while seeking longer term housing options;
WHEREAS, temporary encampments hosted by qualified organizations on properties owned or controlled by religious organizations as authorized by Ordinan...
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