Tacoma, WA expands camping ban after City Council vote

Tacoma City Council passes expanded camping ban

Tacoma's camping ban will expand after the city approved the proposal Tuesday night.

TACOMA, Wash. - Tacoma's camping ban will expand after the City Council approved the proposal Tuesday night, following a long-running debate.

The ordinance bans camping outside of shelters and in public spaces, including areas such as schools, parks and libraries. However, there may be some exceptions.

Under the new law, violators can be referred to a therapeutic court. On Tuesday night, many community members voiced their concerns, with several calling the ordinance incomplete and harmful to vulnerable people.

The other side:

"The city’s camping bans have created excessive barriers to access and care by scattering the population at risk," said Public Health nurse Jan Runbeck.

"I hear that some folks complain about encampments. It’s hard to be reminded of your privilege and how tenuous every currently housed person’s situation is," said Thea Phoenix with The Mockingbird Society, an unhoused advocacy group. "But that does not mean that we should make life harder for people living outside. That is the definition of punching down."

A co-sponsor of the ordinance, Tacoma City Councilmember John Hines, released a statement Tuesday night after the measure passed.

What they're saying:

"This update to our camping ordinance is based on careful study and years of discussion about the community impact of encampments and our community buffer zones," said District 1 Council Member John Hines. "This policy is not our sole response to homelessness and our conversation about how to address homelessness has not ended. I remain committed to continuing to think creatively about how we help all our residents have a place to call home. We must, however, also ensure that our public spaces are safe, accessible, and maintained for their intended use."

Along with the new guidelines, buffer zones will be reduced from 10 blocks around shelter sites to five blocks for shelters located outside downtown Tacoma.

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