the Southwest Washington city of Washougal became one of the latest municipalities to pass an ordinance that bans camping in public.Mike McAtee ties a Christmas tree on top of his truck at the Activate Church Dream Center in Washougal McAtee says even what's considered affordable housing in Washougal is out of reach around a dozen people filtered through Activate Church a Christian ministry that serves the Columbia River Gorge towns of Camas and Washougal Visitors were there for a hot cup of coffee and a plate of ham and grits They perused donated clothing and stocked up on free canned goods and holiday bags had lived in the area for the past two decades and wound up homeless years ago after a string of problems: He broke his back and he had fallen behind on child support payments came when he was getting ready to leave town for a job and his car and boat were towed along with all of his belongings and tools James Jackson sits out side the Activate Church Dream Center on Dec Jackson says he has camped out around Washougal for about a decade and then the money to get your boat out of tow it was going to be a couple grand,” Jackson said “Another one that kicked me right in the guts Jackson estimated he’s been camping outside for about 10 years it is now illegal to camp on any publicly owned property More violations lead to people being excluded from areas where they’ve camped and eventually arrested It’s a sign of the shifting approaches to homelessness after the U.S Supreme Court backed cities' rights to ban camping last year Homeless advocates say the law will do little to solve outdoor camping chief of police and mayor all declined interview requests city officials said that police will “prioritize compassion by offering access to and information about available resources ensuring individuals are connected with the support they need.” They also noted that there are a number of nonprofit and faith groups in town that offer services including meals and safe overnight parking and that the city offers hotel vouchers when funds are available City officials discussed the new ordinance in a public meeting in early December councilor Molly Coston defended the plan saying it’s not meant to sweep all homeless people out of town but is instead a tool for police when dealing with the most difficult homeless residents who don’t follow city rules said the department wouldn’t tell people specifically where to go under the policy change But officers would direct them to resources “There are no shelter services here in Washougal we do what we can to help these folks out,” she told the city council but we can’t advise them where to camp in Vancouver Jeff Liddicoat doesn’t like the term homeless—“I live outside,” he says while attending an event held in at Pioneer Courthouse in Portland Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the Grants Pass v in what is possibly one of the most consequential legal decisions on homelessness in decades “The way to end homelessness is through housing It is housing with services,” said Sesany Fennie-Jones executive director of Council for the Homeless the nonprofit that coordinates resources in Clark County She said many people experiencing homelessness actually have jobs they just don’t make enough money to afford the rent in Clark County a region that has seen notable population growth since 2020 and Anti-camping ordinances can further disrupt people’s lives they’re going to possibly lose their job because they have to figure out where to sleep outside According to projections from Clark County in May 2024 about half of all the housing that needs to be built in Washougal in the coming two decades is low-income to meet state goals under the Growth Management Act Washougal only has an emergency weather shelter “If it ain’t snowing out or it ain’t 100 degrees out they don’t think about it,” resident Mike McAtee said McAtee has lived in Washougal his entire life That will allow him to dodge the camping ban as long as he follows the rules around moving his vehicle McAtee said he had tried to find housing in town but even what is considered low-income is unaffordable Washougal resident Mike McAtee ties a Christmas tree on top of his truck on Dec “You can’t get an apartment around here for less than $1,500 per month,” he said Vancouver has four tiny house villages to help people transition out of homelessness Each village has individual shelters for up to 40 people The city is also building a 150-bed congregate shelter that is expected to open in 2026 the homeless population in Washougal is small but according to a 2023 survey from Council for the Homeless there were 149 people in Clark County who had a Washougal address before they became homeless That represented just 2.3% of the county’s overall homeless population At least one other Clark County city is following Washougal’s lead Battle Ground will consider its own ordinance about unauthorized encampments Public meeting records state that public camping has “not historically been a matter of significant concern in Battle Ground” but also cite Washougal’s ordinance as a reason to put a policy in place citations generally aren’t a deterrent for people camping in public the city of Vancouver’s homeless response manager “People do not just disappear because you’ve given them a citation or put them in jail for a night,” Spinelli said “So those communities will just in perpetuity be spending those dollars because it is very expensive to utilize law enforcement and jail as your sole means of addressing homelessness FILE - Jamie Spinelli stands at a homeless camp in Clark County on March 8 Spinelli says camping restrictions are not effective at providing long term solutions to homelessness she would get every community in the region to agree on the same way to address homelessness That way people experiencing homelessness wouldn’t have to worry about where to move tonight or tomorrow it feels much more worthwhile to look at it and address it in a long-term sustainable way even though that means we don’t get immediate results,” she said Tags: Washington, Washington Legislature, Homeless, Homelessness Stand with OPB and protect independent journalism for everyone Listen to the OPB News live stream (opens new window)Streaming Now (KATU) — Voters in Camas and Washougal will soon decide the fate of Proposition 1 a measure that could significantly alter the governance and funding of their local fire services The proposition proposes transitioning the current municipal fire department into a regional fire authority (RFA) with its own taxing district representing the East Clark professional firefighters "Proposition 1 is a reorganization of the fire department the governance model from a municipal fire department that is administered by the city of Camas to a regional fire authority administered by itself." established through an interlocal agreement (ILA) between the two cities has seen Washougal consolidate its fire services with Camas since 2013 "There is some perceived inequities between the two cities and essentially the funding model is not sustainable at the growth rate." Proposition 1 would establish a uniform tax rate of $1.05 per thousand dollars of assessed property value resulting in a 45-cent increase for Camas residents and a 24-cent increase for Washougal residents if voted in by the residents of Camas and Washougal would make it an equal playing field." The proposed RFA aims to address staffing and funding challenges including the ability to maintain three-person engine companies and eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for ambulance transport Cliburn recounted a 2018 incident where a two-person crew had to break protocol to rescue a person from a house fire highlighting the need for adequate staffing READ ALSO: Portland farmers market vendors feel tariff strain as prices rise Cliburn warned that if Proposition 1 is rejected "The fire department will dissolve and each city will go its respective own ways," potentially leading to reduced services and layoffs The RFA would begin operations on January 1 with initial funding provided by loans from Camas and Washougal Cliburn assured that the RFA's funding would be transparent and solely dedicated to fire services we don't share it with any other agencies just ourselves." The decision on Proposition 1 will be made by voters in the upcoming election "We would greatly appreciate your support of Proposition 1." argue that the measure would unnecessarily raise fire taxes by 18% in the first year without ensuring future stability City leaders advocate for the RFA model as a more "equitable and fair" alternative to the current agreement Perman argues that the proposal shifts too much financial burden to homeowners without addressing why the existing agreement couldn't be modified The RFA proposal includes interim "start-up" funding of $4.6 million from Camas and Washougal with Camas borrowing money to loan to the RFA Both cities would transfer fire stations and equipment to the RFA without compensation yet would need to pay market value plus improvements to reclaim them Perman highlighted that the RFA's funding structure relies heavily on property tax levies and service fees Camas and Washougal residents already face high property tax rates along with recent increases in other taxes and fees "This is not a final levy scenario for Camas You as Council will approve the property tax levy for Camas in November as usual and you as Council can choose this scenario to reduce the property taxes we will start talking about options for you to consider." "This isn’t about safety—our fire service already saves lives It’s about adding another tax that will increase your existing fire taxes by 18% in year one with no certainty about future increases," wrote Perman for the statement against and rebuttal of the proposition An informational event hosted by L2444 is scheduled for April 6 at Backpacker Pizza in downtown Camas a joint meeting with both proponents and opponents of Proposition 1 will take place on April 8 at 7 p.m Voters will make their decision on April 22 (KATU) — Clark County officials are urging property owners not to miss out on potential tax savings The county's Assessor's Office will host two educational events in Washougal to assist homeowners with the property tax relief program The first event is a Q&A session scheduled for Monday during the Washougal City Council meeting at the Washougal Council Chambers This session will provide an opportunity for property owners to learn more about the program READ ALSO: PBOT offers free compost from past Leaf Days property tax exemption specialists will be available at the Washougal Community Center to help enroll interested homeowners in the county's property tax relief program The program is designed to reduce property tax liability for senior citizens and people with disabilities who meet certain criteria participants are not required to repay the taxes and their homes are not subject to property liens To schedule an appointment for the enrollment event homeowners can call 564 397-2391 or email taxreduction@clark.wa.gov Clark County also stated walk-ins are also welcome For more information about the program and to apply online, visit the Clark County Assessor's website. by Shelby Slaughter (KATU) — The City of Washougal has alerted residents about an increase in PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) levels commonly referred to as "forever chemicals," in two of its wells These chemicals are known for their persistence in the environment as they do not break down According to the EPA, PFAS can be harmful to a person's health. The agency's website notes that exposure can lead to developmental delays in children PAST COVERAGE: Forever chemicals (PFAS) found in Washougal water the city assured that the levels remain within the safety guidelines established by the Washington State Department of Health The city says they are actively monitoring (KATU) — The Washougal School District faces a new warning from the State of Washington The Superintendent of Public Instruction says the district is facing potential funding difficulties The interim Superintendent told our news partners at the Columbian that the warning is quote “very concerning.” He says the district has been upfront about its finances and is moving in the right direction The district made about $4 million dollars in cuts for the current school year He says the district currently has no plans to make more cuts during this school year Washougal is one of nineteen school districts in the state to receive a ‘financial warning.’