Residents, service providers and businesses press Port Angeles council on homelessness and proposed camping policies

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…