While Tigard once had one of the least restrictive ordinances of Washington County cities when it came to where homeless individuals could stay overnight, that will change on July 29.
That’s when camping at the Tigard Public Library will be banned due to recent behaviors there — specifically visible drug use. Two other city properties will be effected by a new ordinance as well.
“So some of those behaviors that we’ve been seeing at the library, we believe pose a significant risk to children and families who are using the library services, and so we’ve recommended several changes, the first being to prohibit camping at the library, effective next Monday,” Kim Ezell, whose job includes shaping the city’s policy and response to homelessness, told the Tigard City Council on Tuesday night, July 23.
The council approved an ordinance that declares an emergency effective July 29, along with a separate ordinance that prohibits camping on any city parking lots or surfaces made of concrete or asphalt. Sleeping overnight in the bark dust area of the Tigard Public Works building in downtown Tigard will be prohibited as well.