‘Still not dealing with the root problem’: Gee argues Seattle’s RV ban cleans up the block but not the crisis

Seattle’s City Council Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would create a Vehicle Resident Assistance Program, offer shelter and services to people living in RVs, and eventually ban overnight RV parking on public streets for those without a permit.

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, split on whether the plan would actually work.

“I guess a plan is better than nothing, but that does nothing for the person,” Gee said, citing a conversation he had with a business owner in the SoDo district. “It does something to the RV. It does nothing to the person.”

Gee said the business owner told him he’d rather have an RV outside his building than the alternative.

“If I had a choice between which I’m going to have outside of my business, it would be an RV,” Gee said, relaying the conversation. “At least everything is contained inside the RV. What’s going to happen is when they get rid of the RVs, guess what’s coming: the tents.”

Disposal is a problem most people don’t consider

“Do people know how much it costs to get rid of an RV?” Gee said. “You have to go through the HAZMAT deal. It’s thousands of dollars. It’s not like you could just take the RV to the lot.”

Permit holders would be allowed to park in designated industrial areas but would have to move every 72 hours and meet behavioral requirements. Those without permits would be limited to two hours of street parking and could be towed without notice. The program is set to begin April 30, with parking enforcement starting by July 31.

Gee said the people living in RVs in SoDo aren’t strangers, and the business owner told him the same community has been there for roughly 10 years.

“It’s a decent little plan, but it doesn’t address the person,” Gee said. “When you take away the RVs, are you going to see more tents? Or are you basically saying the person is going with them, too? Because I don’t think so.”

Ursula backs Strauss: ‘Doing nothing is not an option’

Ursula said the plan does include help for people living in RVs before enforcement kicks in.

“It does say it starts with help for people living in RVs, offers them more shelter options and services,” Ursula said. “If I’m a business owner, I wouldn’t want the RVs there either. And I think making them have a permit is a step in the right direction.”

Gee pushed back, arguing that many RV residents don’t want the services being offered.

“A lot of them don’t want the air-quotes services,” Gee said.

“They don’t want the shelter, because they want to do what they do in the RVs,” Ursula acknowledged. “But I’m still in favor of what Dan Strauss is trying to do. Doing nothing is not an option, in my opinion.”

Gee said he agreed but wanted listeners to understand the difference between cleaning up a problem and solving one.

“It’s one of those things. It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going to clean my room,’ but you’re still not dealing with the root problem,” Gee said.

Both hosts said they’d like to have Strauss on the show.

“I like that guy,” Gee said. “Have him on.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.