Stop Seattle From Turning Our Parks Into Homeless Encampments

Please, keep our city save, clean and hygienic for children, elderly, handicap, for everyone! Stop Seattle Turning Seattle into homeless Encampments!!!!

This is a dangerous and irresponsible proposal that provides no real solutions or assistance for the homeless in Seattle and distracts the council from focusing on safe and long term options.

Don't ruin our city with this type of legislation. Your support of this bill will cost you your position on the council.

Dear City Council members: This is the first time I've written a letter to an elected official in years. But I'm so fed up with what is happening in our city that I need to express my views and hope they will contribute to a more balanced dialogue and sensible outcome. I moved here five years ago, drawn by a job opportunity but more so by the natural beauty that surrounds this city. In the past couple of years, my love for the city has become tainted as I've watched us struggle with the tangled issues of homelessness, mental health and drug abuse.. We've simultaneously watched our property taxes continue to increase. Property taxes which should help to have a well funded and responsive police department, as well as clean and safe parks. Please listen to the majority of tax paying citizens and not the voices of a select few and seek options other than allowing camping in our public spaces, parks and sidewalks. I understand the desire to act with compassion and empathy towards the homeless problem. But enabling them to continue living outdoors - without access to proper facilities - is not the solution. Outdoor camps are often creating spaces for illegal activity, drug use, and degradation of our public lands with unrestricted garbage dumping and toilet facilities. This not only negatively impacts our public infrastructure. It creates public health, environmental, safety, livability and social justice issues. Seattle residents and visitors deserve to be able to utilize sidewalks, public spaces, and recreation areas without being endangered and otherwise impacted by these issues that outdoor homeless encampments are creating. Stop gambling with our city parks, public spaces and sidewalks and instead use the budget process for the 2017-2018 budget to support the Pathways Home Initiative Priority Actions. Sincerely, Melissa washko Madison Park

Tax payers have never been offered $250 a day for going without water services, why in the world are we offering to fund non-paying citizens using tax paid dollars? Stop the madness.

Our country was built on having parks available for our citizens to enjoy; for kids getting out to play and not being on their iphones, getting exercise and walking dogs after a long day; not being fearful of a potentially dangerous environment. Fix the homeless problem instead of just pushing the camps into different places. It doesn't solve the problem.

$40 Million is spent on the homeless and the problem is worse and no one has the guts to say - don't come to Seattle if you don't have a job or place to stay

This is a terrible idea. There is already a small camp at the magnuson park and the car prowls and burglaries are raising. There is som drug dealing around the area too. There must be another solution to the case.

This will create an unsafe environment to citizens that want to use these parks. Is that what you want? For children to come across used needles in parks? I realize not all homeless people are drug users but let's be honest, many of them are and that is often times a direct result of their homelessness. Maybe you could put money toward helping these people find work. The more handouts you send out the less they will work for it. Don't be an enabler.

This is a terrible idea. The fine payable to homeless people is particularly ridiculous. NO.

Please, please, do not allow the homeless in the Parks. I pay taxes, please represent me! I pay your salary!

There must be an alternative to this proposal.

Please don't homeless people camp in our parks. Not along the highway and streets either.

This is an outrage! Our families will no longer have the ability to enjoy our parks. Complete disaster.

The city of Seattle deserves better

Concerned about homelessness; also concerned about turning our parks into places dangerous and trashed out.

This is an outrageous misuse of our tax money. This bill needs to be voted down immediately and never allowed to be considered again.

Use these same resources to fund real and sustainable solutions, instead of creating additional problems for our city.

I do not support this proposal in any way. It does nothing to actually help the homeless, or solve the problem. This proposal disrespects home owners and tax paying citizens in the city of Seattle. This will ruin our parks and make them unsafe for families!

The city should not move ahead with this proposal. Rather, please look at establishing small-area encampment sites where security and monitoring can be without problems, and where major public areas won't be turned into large, unwieldy camps.