Amy Harris, of Clark County Matters, believes that as long as public camping remains a choice, many individuals will continue to refuse shelter and services
Amy Harris
Clark County Matters
Earlier this year, Clark County Matters sent a letter to city officials outlining seven specific recommendations for placing stronger limits on public camping in Vancouver. One of those — banning camping within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, and community centers — should have been enacted years ago. Another simply brings city policy in line with Clark County’s existing restrictions. You can read our full letter here.
We strongly support more shelters and services — those are essential to ending unsheltered homelessness. But as long as public camping remains a choice, many individuals will continue to refuse shelter and services. For some battling mental illness, the decision may be beyond their capacity. For others caught in addiction, it’s a cycle of dependency and criminal activity that requires intervention.
A few days later, the City Attorney responded. It’s telling how far the city will go to rationalize public camping. Despite clear rulings from both the U.S. Supreme Court and Washington state courts upholding the legality of camping bans, Vancouver continues to hide behind legal theories to justify inaction. You can read the City Attorney’s response here.
Rather than taking real steps to limit public camping, the mayor and city council continue to defend it. Vancouver needs leadership willing to pair compassion with accountability. That means ending the dangerous, inhumane encampments harming both vulnerable people and entire neighborhoods. You can read our latest response here.
Let’s be honest: this legal back-and-forth does nothing to get people off the streets — or to protect the families and businesses suffering the consequences of public camping.
Vancouver doesn’t have to become the next Portland. But that depends on whether our leaders act.
Thank you for staying engaged. Your voice matters — and it’s making a difference.
Also read:
- Letter: It’s time for Vancouver to choose change
Vancouver resident Michael Jelino calls for new leadership in the city and voices his support for Justin Forsman in the mayoral race, urging others to back change. - Opinion: ‘Vilifying broad swaths of Americans’Editor Ken Vance reflects on troubling posts by public defender Renee Alsept and shares a thoughtful perspective from longtime attorney Brad Andersen on ethics, discourse, and professionalism.
- POLL: Should the county update its Human Resources policy to include personal social media accounts of employees in sensitive roles?This week’s Clark County Today poll asks whether the county should update its Human Resources policy to include personal social media accounts of employees in sensitive roles, following concerns over online conduct.
- Opinion: Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries levy lid liftDick Rylander shares Q&A with FVRL leadership about the proposed levy lid lift, detailing budget needs, tax impacts, and what a YES or NO vote could mean for library services.
- Letter: ‘The public has allowed this to happen’Wynn Grcich calls on Vancouver residents to support Justin Forsman and Rob Anderson in local elections and urges more civic engagement to challenge current city leadership.
