MERCER ISLAND, Wash. — Mercer Island City Council is considering banning camping on public streets and property, promising to help people find shelters in nearby cities. Camping is already banned at the city’s parks.
Those in support believe it’ll help those experiencing homelessness get the resources that they need. On the other side of the issue, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State thinks it unfairly criminalizes people experiencing homelessness.
Mercer Island City Council members plan to discuss and possibly vote on an ordinance Tuesday. Similar ordinances already exist in other cities, including Bellevue and Redmond.
"Despite it in some ways being unexpected it’s really, really disappointing,” said Breanne Schuster, staff attorney, ACLU of Washington.
Schuster says the proposed ordinance is the wrong move.
”If there are great options for folks, you know we should certainly get them linked up with that, but I don't think we have to have law enforcement doing that,” Schuster said.
The city’s proposed ordinance says anyone camping on city streets or property would be directed to shelters on the Eastside, since there’s no homeless shelter on Mercer Island.
Beginning in 2021, the city council authorized funding to support the Human Services Funding Collaborative and Eastside shelters.
If someone violates the ban, they could be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to 90 days in jail. If there’s no room at any of the partnering shelters, the city can’t enforce the ban.
City leaders say the ordinance connects people with the resources they need rather than focusing on arrests.
"The idea isn’t that we lock people up and throw away the key," said Jake Jacobson, Mercer Island City council member during a January council meeting.
"It's intended to get people who are unable to have residences for themselves, let's put it that way, other than on public property to be connected with public shelters and hopefully get some help,” Jacobson said.
Schuster says there’s a better solution.
"I hate to, like, say that over and over again, but it's really quite simple and that's affordable housing,” Schuster said.
City leaders will take up the ordinance Tuesday during its regularly scheduled council meeting.