HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing Comment MoreyPublic Comments
From:Barbara Morey <bemorey@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, February 15, 2021 8:24 PM
To:Public Comments
Subject:Addressing the End of the Eviction Moratorium
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Hello Commissioners:
The end of the Governor's Eviction Moratorium is estimated to increase homelessness in Jefferson
County by as much as 37%. We already have a housing crisis and difficulty finding a way to work with
the unsheltered people in our community.
I urge you to adopt measures to allow the development and support of further emergency housing
measures that will permit and direct an effective pro-active response to the upcoming challenges, as
opposed to gate keeping and restrictive barriers to safe and healthy interim housing efforts.
1. Establish permitting guidelines and a rapid approval process for establishing "Supported
Emergency Temporary Encampments" in the county. A state RCW allows churches to create and
manage these self-governing encampments on their property. The City of PT also has such
guidelines that you may adapt for use in the county, as you are currently doing through the
emergency measure that you are working on with Bayside Housing. I have recently worked with the
BOH to identify and establish the requirements for health and safety for such encampments. Please
make it your priority to complete these regulations before the moratorium ends so that the community
may be pro-active in planning for related services.
2. Review and adopt a measure such as the Kitsap Emergency Housing Ordinance which has been
sent to your office several times. This permits individuals to provide temporary emergency housing,
such as allowing a family to live in an RV on their developed residential property. The County could
establish a registration system--at little or no charge-- so that these measures are not just random
and unsupported.
3. Open the campground at the Tri Area Center that has been closed since 2009 for use as
a "residential safe park" for individuals living in their RV's or cars. If the county agreed, the
community could get things ready at minimal cost-- Just as they did at the church where the tiny
houses are located. Get Quilcene loggers to remove those trees you've been talking about since
2015 in exchange for the wood. There are water and electricity and a shelter building on site. Trench
the electrical service to the campsites. Install port a potties. Install a fence to control entrance.
This is an emergency, Folks. It's time to take action so that the community can access the necessary
public resources for safe and healthy living.
4. I encourage you to support and implement SB5160 which has been proposed to proactively
address this coming eviction crisis in Jefferson County and WA:
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"SB 5160: Addressing landlord-tenant relations by providing certain tenant protections during and
after public health emergencies, providing for legal representation in eviction cases, establishing an
eviction resolution pilot program for nonpayment of rent cases, and authorizing landlord access to
state rental assistance programs."
5. Finally, change the standard for waste disposal and septic systems to identify the number of
people the system can support, rather than the number of bedrooms in the residence. That would
potentially allow additional temporary housing to be safely placed on residential properties in the
county.
It takes the whole village...Your turn!
Barbara Morey, Housing Advocate
206 326-9022
Nevertheless, she persisted...
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