Safe Stay Communities

When determining where to propose a Safe Stay Community, the City of Vancouver considers four primary factors:

1. Dispersing Safe Stay Communities equitably throughout the city,
2. Availability of public transit
3. Assessing residential areas with heightened economic vulnerability
4. Acute need resulting from camping in nearby parks, pathways or greenways

Safe Stay Communities help address the immediate impacts of homelessness on community health, safety, and cleanliness, including removal of garbage, trash and clutter in public spaces and relocation of residents living in tents or vehicles in public rights of way. Once a proposed Safe Stay Community is open, public camping is not allowed within 1,000 feet.

Homelessness is a complex topic that can only be addressed by working together with a wide range of city, county and community partners. Groups working to address homelessness in Vancouver include Clark County, Council for the Homeless, Share Vancouver, Clark County Food Bank, Outsiders Inn, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and Vancouver Public Schools’ Family-Community Resource Centers).

The crisis of homelessness and its impacts on public health and sanitation remain a top and urgent concern of many neighbors and businesses in our community. Over the last few years, we’ve enhanced our approach to tackling the impacts of homelessness, collaborating with our community and our partners to increase direct outreach, opening supportive Safe Stay and Safe Parks, conducting unsafe encampment clean ups and more.

Due to the growing complexity of this crisis, we declared a homelessness state of emergency in Vancouver in Nov. 2023.  The declaration gives us the agility, tools, and resources to address homelessness and its impacts on both the housed and unhoused with the urgency our community needs.

The City’s Homeless Assistance & Resources Team (HART) provides compassionate outreach and assistance to folks living unsheltered and serves as a point of contact for community members who may be concerned about safety or sanitation.

Neighbors and community members play an important role in supporting Vancouver’s Safe Stay Communities. Once a community opens, people may give of their time as volunteers, gather welcome baskets for new residents or donate money to help pay for meals. Explore current donation and volunteer opportunities at our Safe Stay/Safe Park communities.