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Residents, service providers and businesses press Port Angeles council on homelessness and proposed camping policies
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Summary
At large public comment and a series of presentations on March 17, Port Angeles residents urged housing-first solutions and harm-reduction alternatives to a proposed camping ban while business groups and district merchants reported public-safety and fire risks; the council scheduled a work session on camping and encampments for April 7.
Port Angeles — Dozens of residents, people with lived experience, housing providers and downtown business owners filled the council chamber on March 17 to press the Port Angeles City Council for immediate action on homelessness and to weigh alternatives to an enforcement-focused camping ban.
Public comment: lived experience and housing-first appeals
Speakers with lived experience and community advocates told the council that enforcement-only responses displace people and increase risk. Moxie Lowe, who identified herself as a Port Angeles resident, argued for data-driven harm-reduction: "Harm reduction and trauma-informed methodologies are science and data based. These services keep folks alive who would have otherwise overdosed or died," she said. Multiple speakers who said they were living outside described the hardship of winter in tents and vehicles and urged the council to prioritize safe parking, sanitation, low-barrier services and housing-first programs rather than criminalization.
Service providers' presentations
Peninsula Housing Authority: Sarah Martinez, executive director of the Peninsula Housing Authority, explained the agency's role and program mix across Clallam and Jefferson counties. PHA administers housing choice vouchers and owns and manages rental properties; Martinez said the agency expends roughly $6.6 million annually in housing assistance across both counties and described development plans including a 24-unit project at East 7th and Gales ("about 85% funded," Martinez said) that will target households at 60% area median income with set-asides for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Serenity House: Sharon Meggard, executive director of Serenity House, described shelter capacity and supportive-housing work. Serenity House operates roughly 142 shelter beds and about 61 permanent supportive units; Meggard reported the most recent point-in-time counts at 331 last year and 337 this year and said the shelter serves thousands annually. She asked the city to consider a utilities subsidy (about $75,000/year) to sustain shelter operations and cautioned that recent federal guidance may complicate permanent-supportive-housing designations.
TAFE and tiny-home pilot: Susan Holmgren of TAFE described day-to-day outreach, a transitional STAR home program and a tiny-home pilot hosted at First United Methodist Church designed for single women or women with children. Holmgren and church partners said permitting and insurance were the program's largest administrative hurdles and asked the city to share lessons learned with other faith-based partners.
Waterfront District and downtown businesses: Sam, representing the Port Angeles Waterfront District, said downtown comprises roughly 252 businesses and 277 housing units and that recent conditions are harming merchants and customers. He cited public-safety incidents and three small fires near buildings since January, along with drug-use exposure and human waste. Sam urged a community safety audit and recommended using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to reduce conflicting uses downtown.
OPCC and Olycap: Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic (OPCC) and Olycap highlighted street medicine, outreach outcomes and systemic barriers: documentation problems, lengthy referral processing, and limited transitional-placement capacity. A client, Chris, described referral delays and eligibility problems that created "unrealistic expectations" and repeated disappointments. Olycap emphasized an aging unhoused population (a growing share 55+) and urged regional planning for skilled nursing and hospice options for people who cannot be served in existing shelters.
Council action and next step
The council approved its consent agenda unanimously (motion moved and seconded; no opposition recorded), which included an expenditure report citing $2,884,189.57 and several procurement items. Council members and staff confirmed a work session on camping and encampments for April 7 at 4:30 p.m. The session will feature additional presentations and is intended to inform possible policy direction.
What it means: Service providers called for housing-first investments, coordinated case management and expanded low-barrier shelter or sanctioned camping/safe-parking options. Business owners cited immediate public-safety concerns downtown (fires, vandalism, drug exposure) and urged operational fixes and targeted enforcement where appropriate. Councilors and staff agreed to gather more information and bring the camping/encampment topic to the April work session for more detailed direction.
(Reporting note: the city will post presentation materials and contact information for providers through the city clerk's office; work-session materials for April 7 will outline options discussed tonight.)
