MERCER ISLAND, Wash. - Churches on Mercer Island say an ordinance that passed Monday night will likely prevent them from hosting a tent city homeless camp in the future.
One of the rules prevents churches within a half-mile of each other from hosting a camp more than once every 18 months. The city is about 6 square miles in size.
City official Manny Ocampo said that rule is intended to spread around camps and avoid impacting the same neighborhood.
One tent city spent three months on Mercer Island in 2008.
