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The Tukwila City Council has voted to make camping on city property a misdemeanor, approving a controversial ordinance supporters said will help police address homeless encampments while critics argued it criminalizes homelessness.
The council approved the measure in a narrow 4-3 vote Monday night.
The new ordinance makes it illegal to camp on city-owned property, including parks, sidewalks, rights-of-way and environmentally sensitive areas. Violators could face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Tukwila Police Department Interim Chief Eric Lund, who sponsored the ordinance, described it as a “last resort” enforcement tool. He told council members that under Washington law, officers generally need probable cause that a crime has been committed before they can compel someone to leave an encampment. Without an underlying offense, he said, police have limited authority to clear camps when people refuse offers of shelter or services.
Several organizations spoke during public comment prior to the council’s vote.
“At multiple points during the meeting, I heard council members state that homelessness was not being criminalized through this ordinance, but respectfully, I cannot agree,” said Marta Kidane, a community engagement manager at the Low Income Housing Institute. “I can see there is a desire to protect people who are unhoused through the language about public health and personal safety, but there is no question that if passed, the law would have negative ramifications for the unsheltered population in this city.”
“We’ve learned from experience that camping bans like this are not a tool to address homelessness,” Hali Willis, the policy manager for the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness, told council members. “They do nothing to help people get shelter, housing, food, medicine, community, or other things they need. Instead, they push people further out into more dangerous and hard-to-reach situations.”
Jazmyn Clark with the ACLU of Washington added, “We respectfully urge you to reject this ordinance and instead invest in the housing, shelter, and support services that are proven to reduce homelessness and strengthen communities.”
Andrea Suarez, founder of We Heart Seattle, urged council members to approve the measure, arguing encampments can fuel drug use and human trafficking while damaging public spaces.
“Every tent I’ve ever seen, except for like one, has been filled with beaten women, trafficked women, babies, drugs, stolen bikes, missing children,” Suarez shared. “We just need to make our parks equitable and safe for all. And when you allow and permit safe tents to pitch wherever you want, it just encourages a constellation of bad things. I’ve seen it firsthand, and I ask you to pass the camping ban tonight. You will save lives.”
City officials said officers will continue offering shelter referrals and other resources before taking enforcement action
Supporters of the ordinance argued homeless encampments contribute to crime, environmental damage and public safety concerns. They also pointed to an estimated $300,000 the city spends each year cleaning up encampments.
“Those living in the parks sometimes believe they have the legal permission to stay and do not always accept the treatment offered. In our parks, there can sometimes be large groups of 15 to 20 people actively using drugs, and drug dealers know this and come to serve these users, making our parks a drug hub as the number of users grows,” one resident explained during public comment. “It’s not uncommon for those camping to possess weapons including guns and machetes.”
Opponents countered that Tukwila already has enforcement options, including trespass warnings, nuisance abatement and park rules. They also argued the region lacks enough shelter beds to accommodate everyone living outside and said giving people misdemeanor convictions could create additional barriers to housing and employment.
“It’s offensive to hear people stigmatize and stereotype homeless people as if they’re all drug users and traffickers and thieves and more,” another Tukwila resident said. “Many folks sleeping in a park or a doorway hit a rough patch. They lost their housing. They lost their job. They got hit with a healthcare crisis. They do not have family or friends to take them in. People don’t choose to be homeless. It does not offer people a path to stability, to safety and hope. It offers them a jail cell, a fine, and a criminal record to further deepen the despair they’re already experiencing in their daily lives.”
The ordinance was crafted in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision, which gave local governments broader authority to regulate public camping.
Council members on both sides acknowledged the ordinance could have unintended consequences and said they will revisit the law if it proves harmful or ineffective. The ordinance takes effect five days after it is passed and published.
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