SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane has given the Washington State Department of Transportation a deadline to clear Camp Hope.
WSDOT owns the property along I-90 at Freya, where the large homeless encampment has been set up for months. There are currently more than 600 people living in the camp.
Spokane City Administrator Johnnie Perkins sent a letter to WSDOT threatening action if the state doesn’t clear the property.
City letter to WSDOT over Camp Hope by Erin Robinson on Scribd
The letter, first obtained by RANGE Media and later shared with 4 News Now, says the property has “reached a point that requires an immediate plan and course of action.”
Perkins writes that those conditions include “illegal camping, code violations, health concerns, excessive amounts of solid waste that has resulted in expensive removal costs at taxpayer expense, unsanitary human waste disposal, hundreds of neighborhood complaints, a significant increase in criminal history, and a failure by the State of Washington act in a timely manner with the resources to correct the situation that is now in its 10th month.”
Perkins also claims that satellite encampments have been set up at adjacent WSDOT properties and referenced the “illegal” cooling center that was built on the property earlier this summer.
The city has given WSDOT two weeks to address the “issues caused by the illegal camping” on the premise. They are also demanding WSDOT fence and secure adjacent properties that are not currently inhabited.
If WSDOT does not do this, the city says they will initiate the necessary legal action by September 23. This includes deeming the property a chronic nuisance, which will result in establishing a plan of action to eliminate the conditions within 10 days.
“The corrective action would be one of abatement or eviction of the persons responsible for the nuisance activity. If no response is received by the City of Spokane, we reserve the to abate the nuisance property and charge the Department of Transportation for all costs and fees associated with these activities including all wages paid to City employees,” Perkins writes.
Perkins’ letter specifically notes available beds at the new, low-barrier Trent Ave shelter that opened earlier this week. The shelter has 150 beds available.
Earlier this week, 4 News Now spoke to people living at Camp Hope who said they are hesitant to utilize the shelter. Many cited issues with the operator’s leadership. The Guardians Foundation also runs the Canon Street shelter.
Camp Hope residents criticized that shelter as being “dirty” and “poorly managed.”
4 News Now returned to Camp Hope Friday afternoon to ask those running the camp about the city’s letter. They said they did not want to comment on the situation and that it is between the city and WSDOT.
In an email to 4 News Now, WSDOT officials acknowledged they have received the letter, are considering it and will formally respond at a later date.
READ: ‘Just as bad as Seattle’: City of Spokane will enforce sit-and-lie ordinance as people ask for change
READ: ‘What’s it like? Despair’: Concerns grow over public health at Camp Hope
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