Spokane ‘Homeless’ Camping Initiative Headed to November Ballot

An initiative led by a Spokane attorney that would greatly reduce legal areas for people to camp on will be voted on in November.

City council votes to send it to ballot

According to The Center Square, attorney Brian Hansen's initiative has the required number of citizen signatures, and therefore the city council could only vote it down, or move it to the ballot.

According to city officials, the council could have technically struck it down, but was reluctant to go against the citizens who signed the initiative.

Perhaps with Camp Hope still fresh on their mind, citizens signed onto the proposal which would ban camping within 1,000 feet of any school, public park, daycare or playground within the city limits.

Opponents of the idea claim this will eliminate at least 40 percent of the land in Spokane, and also said the task of putting up the necessary signage all over the city would be monumental.

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The Center Square noted a similar plan resulted in a 2018 court case, Martin Vs. Boise, which saw such an initiative struck down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court ruled that all-encompassing camping bans are illegal if a city does not have sufficient homeless shelter space.

Now, it will be up to the voters of Spokane to decide.