Seattle City Council advances homeless shelter expansion bill, drops proposed school buffer zones

The Seattle City Council is moving forward with legislation that would significantly expand the size of temporary homeless shelters across the city, despite the removal of a proposed amendment that would have created buffer zones near schools.

If approved, the legislation would allow temporary shelter sites, including tiny home villages, RV and vehicle safe lots, and tent encampments, to increase capacity by 50%, raising the maximum from 100 to 150 residents.

The amendments that were approved include new operational requirements for larger shelters. Sites with more than 100 beds would be required to maintain public safety plans and provide around-the-clock staffing.

Another amendment requires shelters to establish agreements with surrounding neighborhoods outlining expectations for resident behavior and site management.

A final amendment mandates at least one manager for every 15 residents identified as having high needs.

Push not to include amendments

Still, several nonprofit groups that testified during the committee meeting urged council members to pass the bill without amendments, arguing the added restrictions could slow the delivery of resources to people experiencing homelessness and further stigmatize them as second-class citizens.

“It resembles the organization of a prison more than of a shelter,” Anitra Freeman with SHARE/WHEEL said during public comment. “In all your legislation, trust experienced providers more, work with providers and act on reason and compassion, not fear.”

Another speaker who relies on disability care provided by a shelter program said, “Without shelter, people do die, and sometimes red tape kills.”

“These amendments are not necessary and severely restrict the creation of new shelter in a time of desperate need. Without shelter, people die. The restrictions that are suggested on distances from parks and schools are not necessary,” another representative from SHARE/WHEEL explained. “The city needs shelters. These would leave nowhere to put them.”

That dropped amendment could resurface as a requirement that notices be sent to schools about the nearby homeless shelter expansion. Some council members expressed concern that creating strict buffer zones could conflict with a new Washington state law requiring cities to allow more emergency housing and shelter options. Other council members voiced concern that buffer zones could limit where future homeless shelter sites could be built.

The Seattle Times reported that Seattle currently has more than 600 beds spread across 15 tiny-home villages citywide. Under the proposed legislation, capacity at those existing sites could expand to as many as 1,139 beds. City staff concluded that Camp Second Chance in Southwest Seattle alone could increase from its current 69 beds to as many as 250.

The debate comes as Seattle continues grappling with homelessness, public safety concerns, and pressure to expand shelter capacity across the city, including Mayor Katie Wilson’s plan to create 4,000 emergency shelter beds by the end of her term.

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