This week is a topic so big, it only takes one!
“STOP HB 1380: A Misguided Shortcut That Ignores Real Solutions to Homelessness”
The Spokane Business Association strongly opposes Washington State’s proposed House Bill 1380 – the Bill is a deeply misguided piece of legislation that threatens to pull our attention away from truly addressing Spokane’s most pressing challenges: homelessness, addiction, and public safety. Instead of demanding real solutions, HB 1380 proposes the ‘non-solution’ of conferring special rights to individuals to obstruct public rights of way in our communities.
Several years ago, I saw what true leadership looks like on these issues through the “Housing and Help” video series, where I had the opportunity to travel to Houston and interview former Mayor Annise Parker about the city’s remarkable approach to homelessness. Houston, despite many differences from Spokane, is a model of success—achieving a per capita homelessness rate about 90% lower than Spokane’s. In other words, for every ten individuals experiencing homelessness in Spokane, Houston has just one.
Following an interview, I asked Mayor Parker where we could find a homeless encampment for our documentary. Her response was unforgettable: she emphatically declared that we wouldn’t be able to find encampments in Houston and that public rights of way there were intended for everyone’s use, not just a few.
To some, this might seem like a lack of compassion, but instead of allowing people experiencing homelessness to sleep on downtown sidewalks, Houston has been busy actually solving the problem of homelessness by successfully housing over 32,000 individuals since 2012 and taking other steps that have given them the lowest homelessness rate of any major city in America. In short, Houston tackled homelessness, while leadership in Washington cities like Spokane and Seattle continue to wring their hands and flounder.
Instead of following successful models, HB 1380 proposes yet another misguided shortcut that avoids responsibility for actually providing real solutions. This so-called compassionate bill instead prolongs suffering for those forced to live in extreme conditions. In Spokane, where temperatures have recently plummeted into the teens – leaving people to sleep on the streets is the opposite of compassion.
HB 1380 also flies in the face of the Supreme Court’s 2024 Grants Pass decision by allowing Washingtoncities to enact ordinances that treat public rights of way as campsites rather than public resources meant for everyone. Spokane’s citizens have also made their stance clear on this issue: in 2023 Proposition 1passed with overwhelming 75% support, expanding prohibitions against public camping.
Spokane and Washington State deserve better. Instead of misguided short-cut legislation, we need to focus on proven solutions like those implemented in other cities such as Houston, Boise, and others –solutions that rely on collaboration across jurisdictions by our local elected leaders. These efforts must prioritize effective strategies such as housing, mental health care, addiction treatment, and reintegration programs. By following these examples, we can finally address the root causes of homelessness and create meaningful, lasting change in Spokane.
I urge everyone to join the SBA in opposing HB 1380 by submitting your comments to the Washington State Legislature at https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1380