Tent City - Temporary Homeless Shelters

Contents

• About Tent City Camps in King County
• Tent City Provisions in King County
• Homeless Encampment Provisions in Other Washington Jurisdictions

About Tent City Camps in King County

Tent City in King County is a temporary encampment of up to 100 homeless persons who live in a group of tents on the property of a host for approximately 90 days. The camps have managers and a code of conduct for residents.

The program in King County is sponsored and managed by SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Efforts (SHARE) and Women's Housing, Equality, and Enhancement League (WHEEL)).   The first community, called Tent City 3, was located  in Seattle.  The program was allowed to continue in Seattle under a 2002 consent decree. SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 has had camp sites in the communities on the West side of Lake Washington.   Share/Wheel established Tent City 4 in the spring of 2004 on the Eastside after working out an agreement with King County.  Local governments in King County issue conditional use permits for the temporary camps Seattle-King County Public Health provides support services to camp managers. 

This Web page provides the local government documents related to temporary permitting for Tent City.  Most examples come from King County, however other Washington cities outside of King County have also enacted provisions which are also included.   If you have anything that would be of interest for this page, please contact the page editor.

King County

The Metropolitan King County Council created the King County Citizens' Advisory Commission on Homeless Encampments (CACHE) to address four specific topics related to the complex and controversial issue of encampments of persons who are homeless in King county.

• King County Citizens' Advisory Commission on Homeless Encampments (CACHE)- King County Housing and Community Development Program  - Includes King County documents, new releases, and related information (links).
• Final Report - King County Citizens' Advisory Commission on Homeless Encampments (CACHE) - August 2004

Auburn

• Auburn Resolution No. 3808 ( 77 KB) - Establishes a moratorium on acceptance of applications for licenses, permits and approvals relating to transitory accommodations, passed 1-05
• Auburn Ordinance No. 6014 ( 563 KB) - Adopts regulations related to homeless encampments, passed 7-06 

Burien (Tent City 3)

• City of Burien Temporary Use Permit for Tent City - November 1, 2002

Bothell (Tent City 4)

• City of Bothell Resolution No. 1159 - Stating the city of Bothell position regarding King County's siting of Tent City 4
• City of Bothell Resolution No. 1162 - Finding that Tent City 4 presents special circumstances warranting a different review process than normally would apply to campgrounds, and establishes a special conditional use process applicable specifically to Tent City 4
• City of Bothell Ordinance No. 1927 – Establishing a six month moratorium on the use of property for transitory accommodations.
• City of Bothell Ordinance No. 1943 ( 67 KB)- Renews the moratoria for an additional 6 months, passed  2-05
• City of Bothell Ordinance No. 1955 ( 226 KB) Establishes regulations concerning transitory accommodations, 12-05
• City of Bothell Tent City 4 Special Conditional Use Permit – Issued July 19, 2004
• City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish – Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law on City’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish –  First Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish – City’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish – Preliminary Injunction
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish – SHARE/WHEEL Response to Motion for Injunction
  • City of Bothell v. St. Brendan Parish - Memorandum of St. Brendan Parish Opposing Preliminary Injunction
• Tent City 4 - Final Bothell Police Department Report – September 30, 2004

Issaquah

• Tent City Information

Kirkland (Tent City 4)

• Tent City 4 Information - Kirkland
• Kirkland Ordinance No. 4047  ( 41 KB)- Temporary Use Provisions for homeless encampments

Mercer Island

• Tent City Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle

• Consent Decree ( 106 KB) between SHARE/WHEEL, El Centro de la Raza and the City of Seattle, March 13, 2002 - Tent City 3 is governed by its consent decree with the City of Seattle when it locates within city boundaries. That consent decree was signed in 2002.  It is a different model but similar to the King County County  model. (The county used Seattle's consent decree in settling with SHARE/WHEEL regarding the dispute over the first siting of Tent City 4 in Bothell). The city's consent decree operates as an omnibus temporary use permit.

SeaTac

• SeaTac Ordinance No. 05-1017  ( 119 KB) adopts development standards for homeless encampments, passed 10-05.

Shoreline (Tent City 3)

• Administrative Order #301138 - A Decision on Application for Temporary Use Permit , December 6, 2002 - The proposal is for the Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, to host a Tent City temporary homeless camp on the church property.
• Shoreline Police Memorandum - October 26, 2004  RE:  Tent City Recap 
• Shoreline Tent City Survey Results
• Shoreline Ordinance No. 368 ( 74 KB)- Amends development code Ch. 20.40, requires applicant to hold a neighborhood meeting prior to application, passed 2-05. 

Woodinville (Tent City 4)

• Understanding Temporary Shelters for Homeless (Chronology of Tent City 4 in Woodinville)
• Woodinville Ordinance No. 369 ( 378 KB) - Permits Tent City 4 to use undeveloped parkland as a temporary location for up to 40 days, passed 6-04.
• Woodinville Ordinance No. 370 ( 152 KB) - Amends Ordinance No. 369, passed 8-04
• Woodinville Ordinance No. 371 ( 132 KB) - Extends time for negotiating an agreement per Ordinance No. 370, passed 8-04
• Woodinville Ordinance No. 372 ( 158 KB) - Authorizes the City Manager to amend the August 27 Temporary Property Use Agreement as needed, including the ability to extend the authorized duration during which Tent City 4 may remain on City property, passed 9-04

Other Washington Jurisdictions

• Olympia Municipal Code Ch. 18.50 - Temporary Homeless Encampments
• Spokane Municipal Code Ch. 10.08C - Homeless Encampments