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Committee weighs proximity rules for encampments near schools amid conflicting homelessness counts
Summary
Committee members discussed prior work on a possible ordinance setting minimum distances between unhoused encampments and school sites, tensions with McKinney‑Vento protections for students, and a discrepancy between the point‑in‑time count and school district McKinney‑Vento numbers.
Committee members and district leaders on June 16 raised concerns about unhoused encampments near school campuses and discussed prior work on an ordinance that would set a minimum distance between encampments and schools.
The nut graf: members said previous discussions stalled because of concerns about McKinney‑Vento protections and shared housing; they also flagged a large discrepancy between the volunteer point‑in‑time (PIT) count and the school district’s McKinney‑Vento tally, and urged better data and case management before pursuing punitive distance rules.
Several committee members recalled earlier conversations about a distance ordinance but said implementation was complicated by the McKinney‑Vento Act, which covers children in shared housing and situations not limited to people living in cars. One member noted the city had not completed actionable items from prior discussions.
Committee members and the superintendent agreed the PIT count (reported at roughly 736) and the McKinney‑Vento figure (about 400) do not align and that the discrepancy warrants a closer audit. Vice President Amboy suggested auditing the counts; the superintendent clarified that McKinney‑Vento reporting includes students in shared housing and that VCUSD is not the only district in the city, which can affect comparisons.
Members asked staff to continue coordinating outreach and case management to better identify unhoused students and families and to ensure any policy responses do not inadvertently harm students who rely on McKinney‑Vento protections.
Ending: The committee agreed to revisit the topic, pursue additional case‑management data and to continue coordination with VCUSD before moving toward ordinance language or operational changes.
