Stop Seattle From Turning Our Parks Into Homeless Encampments

Misguided and unrealistic bill. Must not pass !!

Help these folks, yes, but this is going too far.

I live at Western and Madison downtown and we have a group of up to seven men camping at the corner of Spring and Madison nightly. They leave trash, publicly urinate and defecate and have been shooting up drugs. It is scary to walk by them.

There have been other states that have solved this problem. Its time to try something else!!!

Do not turn our parks into campgrounds. This tactic has been tried and failed in other cities. Our parks are for everyone's day use, not for camping. Issues of homelessness need real solutions. This is not one of them.

Please, do not turn our parks over to homeless people camping, or anyone camping in the park. I won't be able to use the parks because I will be afraid, the parks will be dirty and full of trash.

Stop it already! Give our families a safe place to continue going without looking at the filth these communities are leaving behind.

This is pretty disgusting.  I am 100% for providing homes and facilities for the homeless, but taking away our city parks from everyone else is not the way to do it.  Plus, I don't see how it actually helps the homeless at all. If we absolutely need tent spaces now, then why not provide city owned vacant lots with shower and toilet facilities.

I am absolutely sympathetic to the homeless, and I contribute regularly to causes that offer assistance. Allowing the homeless to camp in Parks and on Playfields is dangerous to our city's children.

Parks are NOT campgrounds. This is not what our park tax dollars are paying to support, nor is it a homelessness solution: This model was tried and failed in Portland. The city instead should be dealing with the banks owning vacant properties, purchasing and remodeling them into housing solutions: Salt Lake City has proved that providing housing for the homeless provides them with the stability they need to rejoin the work force and deal with whatever addiction issues they may have.

I am especially concerned about allowing encampments in natural areas that are deemed "unimproved" parks spaces. Thornton Creek Alliance has spent decades trying to restore natural areas along the creek.

Kudos to Tim Burgess - perhaps the only sensible member of the City Council on this topic.

I absolutely support finding ways to aid the homeless population in any way possible, but this is a terrible idea. Please reconsider.

Please put in place a system that moves people into housing which enables them to get the help they need. That may be as simple as being able to get a job now that they have a stable home, or as much as seeking the mental help they need. This plan does nothing but shuffle people around and destroy our parks.

No, no, no. While not all homeless people are dangerous, nefarious characters, there are a handful that are and giving them open access to areas that are supposed to be a safe area for children, families, singles is a not the answer. Instead of putting a band aid on the crumbling dam, and insuring that no one is able to use our beautiful parks anymore, how about actually putting thought towards fixing this issue?

this needs to be stopped this is ridiculous for this to be approved or even given the time of day to think about for this being ok to happen. our kids need to be safe and want to go to the park undisturbed. please do not let this pass

The homeless problem does need a solution but camping in the parks is a bad idea. This will ruin the parks for all of us. I would gladly spend my tax dollars to build dignified centers for homeless people where they have access to showers, laundry facilities, wifi, beds and various counseling services.

Camping in public parks does not address the homeless situation. Waste, garbage, and a plethora of problems will be created, not solved. Do not approve!

Hello, If you expect our kids who use the parks regularly in Seattle to have to beware of the dregs of society while playing you have another thing coming. We are the taxpayers who keep these parks up and you better know that overnight these people will turn our parks into sickening locations like they've done all over our once beautiful city. Work on it now and work hard all of your decision makers. So totally frustrated. Ron Beck

We've got to do better than this ill conceived legislation. We've got to do better for the homeless, for our communities, our kids and families, and for Seattle. This terrible legislation will be remembered when the members of the city council are up for reelection.