Tacoma & Pierce County Democratic Socialists of America (TDSA) is highly concerned about protections and safety of unsheltered houseless people across Pierce County.

In light of recent events, we urge Pierce County Council & Tacoma Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) to step up and protect the basic human rights and safety of your most vulnerable residents: the unhoused.

Across the county, there is an overwhelming lack of 24-hr accessible bathroom access for people experiencing houslessness. With compounded causes of closed public restrooms (like in parks & libraries) and very low numbers of porta-potties and handwashing stations distributed, it has left many inadvertently forced to do so in public spaces and without access to wash their hands regularly amidst a pandemic.

This will become increasingly worse, particularly for unsheltered people in the City of Puyallup. TDSA condemns the City of Puyallup and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s decision to close homeless encampment at the Puyallup Recreation Center without alternative shelter options and 24-hour accessible restroom services in place. It has left the community unnecessarily scrambling to meet their basic needs.

Everyone needs a bathroom, whether in a pandemic or not. Not planning for basic needs and services is inhumane and a public health hazard that could easily be remedied.

Planning ahead to care for unsheltered people's basic needs will help us care for our most vulnerable in the community, while also working to combat the spread of COVID-19, Hepatitis A, and other diseases. We can lessen the burden on our hospitals struggling to fight the Covid 19 pandemic. We must efficiently utilise these resources and save time, energy, money, and lives.

Join us in demanding the Pierce County Council and TPCHD government leadership by sending a letter. Together, we call on them to take action on the following:

Protections for Houseless Tent-Campers

• Increase access to bathrooms and hand-washing stations for unsheltered people throughout the County to follow CDC Guidance for Unsheltered People. This improved sanitation access must be accessible 24 hours a day.

• Publicly guarantee a stop to encampment sweeps until the spread of COVID-19 is over. Sweeps cause unnecessary displacement, especially now during a public health emergency.

Protections for Houseless Car-Campers

• Prioritize the immediate establishment of Safe Parking Lots throughout the County using public and community resources. We stand with the Tacoma-Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness’s Safe Parking recommendations listed in their May 18, 2020 letter.

• Halt enforcement of any car-camping laws throughout the County, and request city governments within the County to comply. This should be done until the public emergency has been declared over or enough Safe Parking Lot capacity has met the need. People camping in vehicles can more easily self-isolate, and comply with COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

Building Long-term Capacity for Basic Needs Resources

• Purchase vacant hotel and motels for individual shelter units and place into an Affordable Housing Land Trust. With the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, going back to large congregate shelters is not possible or sustainable. With CARES Act funding, we must build capacity for the long-term to increase individual shelter options for the future severe weather events caused by climate change.

• Purchase or build mobile shower units (see Lava Mae’s online toolkit as an example) to get much needed hygiene resources out to encampments across the County. We appreciate the County moving to open shower resources at three local YMCAs and Sprinker Recreation Center. That is a step in helping fill this gap in services, but we also believe that mobile units will help providers and the County be more flexible, and build long-term capacity to meet hygiene needs of people who are typically hardest to reach.

Equitable Input on Decision-Making

Emphasize outreach to people experiencing houselessness and surrounding community stakeholders to allow for input on decision-making. With millions of dollars coming to the County from the state and federal governments, specifically for homelessness services, we believe that people directly impacted are the most knowledgeable in understanding the current needs on the ground. Without their input, these decisions will not be equitable, and have the potential to leave out current issues and potential solutions. Similarly, housed neighbors in communities impacted by houselessness are also important stakeholders and potential resources in how to care for their community.