Everett City council pauses to rethink encampments for the homeless
EVERETT — People helping those without safe, stable housing find shelter are seeking another option after a string of city and county sweeps broke up local encampments.
Late last month, City Councilmember Liz Vogeli proposed an ordinance amendment that would reduce the required time between an encampment’s application and opening from 45 days to seven.
“It is really an emergency for the health of our residents — not just citizens, but residents — to shelter in place,” Vogeli said at the council’s July 29 meeting.
City code permits homeless encampments — with a lot of requirements and restrictions — as a temporary use for areas that aren’t zoned for them. The application process takes at least 45 days before a site can start and includes a list of other requirements.
Vogeli’s request failed to get a second motion for a vote by the other council members, and the item was tabled for another meeting. The delay means an application to host an encampment by the Everett United Church of Christ, which serves free meals and hosts a food pantry, will go through the current process and timeline.
“It is our duty, it is our mandate, it is our vision,” pastor Jermell Witherspoon said of the church’s reason for wanting to host an encampment. “It is part of our mission as being followers of Christ.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/city-council-pauses-to-rethink-encampments-for-the-homeless/
