Engagement

• City staff find or are notified of an encampment
• The City’s Homelessness Assistance and Resource Team visits encampment within one week of notification to assess for next steps

If no cleanup is needed (based on amount of solid waste, presence of biohazardous material, etc.)

• HART engages with residents regarding housing/support needs, keeping site clean, being a good neighbor, etc.
• HART informs third-party community outreach teams of encampment location, as well as resident information and needs
• HART coordinates regular garbage service with Talkin’ Trash
• HART visits encampment regularly for ongoing assessment

If clean up is needed

• HART schedules cleanup with contractor and PW crews based on contractor and/or PW availability
• Except in an emergency, HART provides at least 24-hour notice to encampment that solid waste cleanup will be occurring
  • The notice shall be provided in writing, and conspicuously posted around the encampment. As feasible, the notice must also be given orally to those encamped.
  • The notice shall include a description of the cleanup activities to be conducted, the approximate date and time of those activities, and any temporary removal requirements.
  • Emergency cleanup is permitted without notice to encampment if the conditions present a serious threat of environmental harm or injury or death to any person. In such cases, HART will provide notice to those encamped as soon as feasible.
  • HART informs third-party community outreach teams that cleanup will be occurring to assist with connections to available shelter/services and relocation, as well as client support and de-escalation as needed
  • On cleanup day, HART, PW crew, and contractor conduct solid waste cleanup in partnership with, and in support of, encampment residents.
    • HART and outreach work with residents to determine what items are needed, what items can be stored, and what can be disposed of.
    • Residents often bag trash and/or separate solid waste from personal items, and let crews know what they don’t want to keep.

If camp removal is needed

• HART schedules cleanup with contractor and Public Works crews
• Except in an emergency, HART provides at least 24-hour notice to encampment that encampment is being cleared and residents will be required to leave the site.
  • The notice shall be provided in writing, conspicuously posted around the encampment. As feasible, the notice must also be given verbally to those encamped.
  • The notice shall include the date and time that the encampment must be cleared and HART contact information.
  • Emergency removal is permitted without notice to encampment if the conditions present a serious threat of environmental harm or injury or death to any person. In such cases, HART will provide notice to those encamped as soon as feasible and may assist with relocation.
• HART informs community outreach teams that encampment is being removed so that they can focus outreach and shelter/housing assistance on this site, if possible.
• On cleanup day, HART, City crew, and contractor conduct cleanup
  • HART/City crew will take reasonable efforts to mitigate property loss during cleanup and removal activities
  • During cleanup and removal activities, HART/City crew will allow campers to retrieve personal property if it does not interfere with the safety of operations
  • Storage of personal property is offered
  • Camp residents are required to take everything they’d like to keep with them and leave the site
  • Everything left behind is disposed of

• Site reclamation/restoration efforts may occur, once site is cleared, to ensure proper sanitation

Legal considerations

• Restrictions on time and place, consistent with Martin v. City of Boise, 920 F.3d 584, 603 (9th Cir. 2019).
• Unlawful Daytime Camping/Storage in parks, streets, parking lots, schools, libraries, etc. (VMC 8.22.040, .050)
• Camping Impact Areas – No Camping at any time within 1,000 feet of Safe Stay Communities/Safe Parks, 200 feet from waterways/water facilities, high fire risk areas (VMC 8.22.040)

Safety considerations

• In/on/near a roadway/moving vehicles
• Built/hardened structures (fire danger, not up to code, etc.)
• Reckless/unlawful burning
• Excessive calls for emergency services due to criminal activity or other health and safety issues (fires, overdoses, violence, etc.)
• Difficulty in extending emergency services to the site
• Imminent work scheduled at the site for which the encampment would pose an obstruction or that would pose a danger to the safety of encampment residents

Sanitation considerations

• Presence of human waste/access to hygiene/sanitation services
• Evident rodent population
• Buildup of hazardous solid waste
• Excessive and improperly discarded needles/drug paraphernalia
• Difficulty in extending hygiene/sanitation services to the site

Good neighbor considerations

• Behavioral – actual or suspected criminal behavior negatively impacting other unsheltered and/or general public
• Engagement/refusal of engagement with basic services – HART, Talkin’ Trash/cleanup assistance, community outreach (shelter, housing, services, etc.)