(The Center Square) – Although Camp Hope in Spokane has closed and Proposition 1 banning homeless camps near certain places was overwhelming approved by voters in November, some downtown business owners say they’re still grappling with chronic camping and petty crime associated with it impacting their operations.
In 2022, the city of Spokane resumed enforcement of its “sit and lie” ordinance that prohibits sitting or lying on a public sidewalk between 6 a.m. and midnight in parts of the downtown.
Two years later, Mark Grace says problems with homeless still persist.
“It seems like it’s getting worse to me,” he said. “I’m born and raised here, but never until now did I see someone sticking a needle into their arm in broad daylight next to a streetlight.”
Grace runs Grace Pressure Washington, which draws many of its customers from downtown businesses looking to clean up the outside of the establishment due to the homeless leaving trash, stolen goods, and even human waste. Last year, he said one local food bank had him come every week to clean up the mess, which often included used drug needles.