Where to sleep in your car if homeless? Pierce County exec says he’ll OK temporary plan
The Pierce County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved temporary regulations to give those experiencing homelessness a safe place to park overnight, with lawmakers signaling they are still seeking long-term rules.
The ordinance will allow parking on sites in the unincorporated county owned or controlled by a religious group, such as churches, which is authorized by state law.
The county bill goes a step further and enables up to four sites to exist on civic or commercial property for a limited time if those sites are operated by a religious group, nonprofit or government agency, according to the office of the County Council.
One-third of the estimated 2,300 people in the county who are unhoused have a vehicle, according to County Council member Ryan Mello, who co-sponsored the bill. About half those with a vehicle also receive income, he said, adding that they needed somewhere safe to park as they seek stable housing.
“This ordinance puts standards in place to protect the residents of safe parking and limits potential neighborhood impacts,” Mello said in a statement. “Without this ordinance, site operators won’t have the certainty they need to invest in the amenities and tools required to host safe parking.”
The bipartisan bill is more narrow than the one the County Council passed just last month on a 4-3 Democratic majority vote. It was ultimately vetoed by County Executive Bruce Dammeier, who contended that it had not followed the legislative process.
Unlike the bill passed Tuesday, that ordinance would not have acted as a pilot program. It also would have allowed safe parking at schools, parks, day cares and libraries, without specifying who the site operator would be.
Dammeier, a Republican, told The News Tribune that he anticipated signing the new bill.
“I felt that this version of the bill addresses my concerns with the dramatic expansion of safe parking into civic and community organizations,” he said.
Under the bill, there can be up to seven vehicles on sites hosted by religious groups in all unincorporated zoning designations, and eight or more vehicles on such sites in urban zones, according to the office of the County Council.
The four locations carved out for civic and commercial properties are allowed to host any number of vehicles in urban zones.
All sites authorized by the county must meet certain health and safety criteria, including maintaining on-site restrooms, potable water and trash cans. A public meeting to discuss any neighborhood concerns would be required to operate a site, as would reviewing state and local sex offender registrations, according to the office of the County Council.
Mello said the bill will give time to the county’s Planning and Public Works Department to craft permanent rules that regulate increasing safe parking sites, which the county has identified as a component of its long-term strategy to end homelessness in the county.
By rule, the bill must be revisited in no later than six months.
This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
