Stop Seattle From Turning Our Parks Into Homeless Encampments

Provide homes not campsites in parks

This proposed plan is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of in my entire life. Please don't do this to our wonderful city. It is not a good or positive direction for us to go in. - Thank you

Keep Seattle Parks safe and open for all to enjoy! Homeless encampments do not belong in our public parks. Enforce the rules and close parks at dusk.

This is a horrible idea. It failed miserably in Portland and will ruin Seattle. Kill this legislation entirely and demand a better plan than turning Seattle’s crown-jewel parks to homeless villages.

I am scared to death that my child, my dog, myself, or anybody for that matter will come in contact with dirty needles. As a hospital healthcare professional, I see this exact thing first hand. Not everyone is aware of this one of many dangers such encampments expose us to.

Not in the parks!

STOP!!!!

I have already seen the environmental impacts of camping at the park at Greenlake consistently for months. Including feces and toilet paper on the shoreline immediately adjacent to the kids swimming area, constant litter, public intoxication, etc. The voters who pay for the parks are entitled to a clean and safe public space. This bill is ridiculous. Public parks are not campgrounds.

City council is ruining our city. Throw them all out and start over

Let's find another solution. Sharing our parks with the homeless isn't a good way to go, too dangerous for families. We can all use the parks during the day, not at night. Not as homes.

The homeless need to be in facilities which are set up to deal with their particular needs.

I have 2 young kids that frequent the parks in West Seattle/Seattle and would be very uncomfortable taking them to a park if there were homeless and possibly mental unstable folks hovering around.

Portland already tried a similar (less drastic) measure, and it was a disaster, so the City repealed it. I will vote against any City Council member who votes for this measure.

This type of regulation actively encourages encampments in our parks and public right of way, infringing on private property owners rights to peacefully enjoy their own property unencumbered from the unsightly, unsanitary, and potential dangers of free for all encampmentsorts. This does nothing to address the complex issue of homelessness. Funding should go to ensuring that no families in need, veterans or DV victims lack basic shelter. Funding needs to address mental health and addiction. This proposal will exasperate the problem and create a nightmare for private property owners and city workers. IT MUST BE REJECTED .

This isn't a solution. Don't do it.

There's got to be a better approach. Homelessness has become a serious problem but opening up our parks does nothing to address the root cause or turn the tide.

I have personally experienced the homeless encampments in Portland and it is quite disasterous. Whenever I run through the parks, I constantly have to weave through the various homeless citizens sleeping. It is dangerous for not only the park-goers, but the homeless population as well.

Dear Seattle City Council Members: I am a taxpayer, a voter, and a homeowner in this city. I will pay attention to how YOU vote on this legislation! Council Bill 118794 is not a solution to remedy unsafe conditions and protect the rights of homeless individuals. It will introduce far more problems than it solves and distracts from the real work at hand. Please do not authorize camping in our public spaces, greenways and parks. Not only does this not remedy the situation but perpetuates it. The safety concerns for our children from the outright use of drugs in front of children already occurring in many of these encampments, as well the contaminated needles on the fields is quite apparent. There are people camping in dangerous areas on medians and defecating on the sidewalks as we drive by with our children. This is a safety and a health concern. We have paid 260 million dollar affordable housing levy and 62 million this year alone for homelessness yet now you want to give them our parks and take them away from our children and families? We deserve a better plan. We want to make this city better and brighter not filled with garbage, dirty needles and the fear of letting our children play in our parks. Please: 1) Vote NO on Council Bill 118794 2) Use the budget process for the 2017-2018 budget to support the Pathways Home Initiative Priority 3) make our city safe and protect our green space for our children. Thank you, Cortney

Please find another solution to this problem. Opening up parks and sidwalks and other publicly owned spaces is not in the best interests of the public, including homeless people.

Registered voter in Seattle district #6