Elected officials from Gig Harbor are leery of a state House bill that would prohibit cities and counties from criminalizing camping on public property unless the jurisdictions have adequate shelter beds available.
Shea Smiley, the city of Gig Harbor’s housing, health and human services manager, described House Bill 2489 as a one-size-fits-all approach during a city council meeting in January. The bill would require all jurisdictions to follow the same approach and is essentially an unfunded mandate, she said.
Officials from Gig Harbor — which outside of a couple safe parking sites, has no overnight shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness — work with partners, often in Tacoma, to place people into shelters, Smiley said. The city is concerned that would no longer be an option under the bill…