OLYMPIA — The city of Olympia says it will clear a downtown homeless camp next week.
The Olympian reports the city posted notices Wednesday at the unsanctioned camp saying it would be cleared due to “ongoing health and safety concerns.”
The city-owned parking lot has been home to dozens of people since the city stopped enforcing its camping ban in September. That was in response to a federal court ruling on a case in Boise, Idaho, that said cities can’t prosecute people camping on public property if they have nowhere else to go.
On Friday, Olympia officials announced they would move forward with camp removals, citing a subsequent court ruling rejecting an effort to stop removals in Oakland, California because that city offered shelter beds and other resources.
