Stop Seattle From Turning Our Parks Into Homeless Encampments

No camping inside the city limits.

Camping in the City should be prohibited. If the City thinks camping is a long-term solution to homelessness (which does not appear to be supported by research on the issue), the City should acquire property and construct campgrounds with necessary facilities, such as bathrooms and waste disposal. Our City looks terrible right now and I do not feel safe walking with my young daughter in areas where campers have set up.

Work on creating more affordable housing and homeless shelters. Letting people camp everywhere will do nothing to stop homelessness. This legislation will make our city less safe and ruin public spaces for everyone.

Please keep our parks and other public places safe for children and families.

I cant believe this was ever considered a "good" idea. Figure it out Seattle.

So many reasons to kill this crazy idea. Not good for anyone in this city, and terrible for our parks and public space. Please stop this now.

There must be a better way to help the homeless. The Ballard tent city is working well and is a good neighbor. I have helped connect homeless people to this place.

I agree completely. We cannot turn our parks and neighborhoods into homeless camps. These folks need help but we taxpayers should not be forced to pay fines on top of all the other taxes we pay. Let's find a way to get them help!

NO CAMPING IN THE PARKS

This is a ridiculous plan written without thoughtful discussion and planning. Please reject this plan.

The fact that members of the City Council would even consider a draft of such legislation is astounding. I realize that some amendments have been proposed. However, who do the proponent City Council members believe they are serving? Certainly not their constituents' interests. From either a liberal or conservative perspective, the proponents of the draft legislation do nothing but represent their own "feel good" interests. Why pass legislation that is unfunded? Why not figure out a solution to the problem -- the City politicians have wasted an incredible amount of both taxpayers time and money already, and now think they are doing the homeless a favor by allowing them to camp in the cold, wet weather, while ruining the park environment for everyone else. This is another example of social engineering at the expense of common sense.

Parent after parent has told me about how they've found needles and feces in the parks and play fields. This is appalling! What will happen when one of our kids slides, steps on or is tackled while playing football and is skewered by a dirty needle? We can do better than this. They don't use the Sanicans properly so I have found human feces while taking my kids and dog to the park. This is a health hazard. The money I pay in taxes goes to maintaining these city parks. I will not standby and let this happen. Clean up the parks! For 25 years I have shot video in these homeless camps in Seattle and I have seen the squalor, violence and drugs. Open the parks to the homeless then no one will go to the parks. In this digital age our kids need parks more than ever. They need to run and be free of worries that these homeless camps bring.

Although well intended, I believe, this proposal surrenders Seattle public space to transients. Please do the right thing for Seattle and the homeless and reject this proposal and come up with a humane plan to help the homeless without allowing unhealthy and unsafe occupation of our city parks, sidewalks and other public spaces. Thank you.

I would expect the city to act better on behalf of all of the city's residents and not just a select few.

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL!

I will not vote for any council member who votes for this and I will do everything in my power to convince all I know to do the same. It is there job to what is best for the majority of citizens o Seattle

If homeless campers were more caring about their surrounding environments rather than making them dangerous, trash strewn hazards, then I could see permitted camping being a possibility. However, since a large percentage of the homeless I see on my walks appear to be mentally ill, or addicts who don't care about themselves, then it is unlikely that they would tidy up after themselves at their campsites. Licton Springs park is particularly bad, and it feels unsafe there when there are unruly people having a party at the bathroom right next to the playground. Apparently 45 used syringes with needles were found in the park recently, despite handmade signs urging people to pack out their works. A commenter mentioned how being in the woods will be very unsafe during the upcoming windstorm, so there is a very grim and real possibility that some campers will be injured or killed from falling trees and branches. I don't know what a valid solution to the homeless problem is. The tiny house encampments seem to be a great possibility, but there needs to be more land dedicated to such projects. Not the parks where we are supposed to enjoy somewhat more pristine greenspace in our city.

This is the worst service the city could give to homeless people as well as its residents. This will likely to increase the problem as any reasonable mind would guess.

I strongly oppose homeless encampment in our parks and any city Council member that supports it.

Find another way.