Creating an Action Plan Plan to Address Homelessness in Kirkland
On June 4, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution R-5631, "Declaring the City’s commitment to addressing homelessness through a person-centered approach and authorizing the City Manager to develop a homelessness continuum of care action plan for new policies, programs, and services that prevent and respond to unsheltered homelessness in Kirkland." Read the resolution(PDF, 364KB). Download an informational 1-page flyer(PDF, 88KB) about the resolution.
City staff will be undertaking a comprehensive community engagement process beginning summer 2024. Subscribe to our This Week in Kirkland podcast or sign up to receive the newsletter to receive the latest updates.
With R-5631, City staff is:
- Developing a draft Action Plan to address issues of homelessness
- Conducting community engagement to inform the Action Plan
- Delivering the draft Action Plan to the City Council by the end of 2024
Through the adoption of R-5631 the City is NOT proposing:
- Opening parks to homeless encampments
- Opening new shelters near primary schools
- Taking in Seattle’s homeless population
- Siting a tiny home village at Houghton Village (the former PCC site)
- A specific housing and homelessness ballot measure. Potential future ballot measures would not be considered without a demonstrated need and a comprehensive public process.
Why does the City of Kirkland need a Homelessness Action Plan?
So we’re prepared.
Having a Homelessness Action Plan will prepare the City to respond quickly and compassionately if there were to be a sudden change in the homeless population in Kirkland.
To be transparent while helping people who need it.
Developing a Homelessness Action Plan provides a clear strategy for humanely supporting community members who are unhoused today.
To engage our community.
Like any City Plan, development of a Homelessness Action Plan includes a public process, including community engagement, and public discussion at Council meetings.
To expand our options.
Today, because of current case law influencing issues of homelessness, if an unhoused individual is living on public property, the City cannot move them unless there is somewhere else for them to go, such as shelter or another piece of public property.
- What does this mean in practice?
Being homeless is not a crime. Kirkland Police cannot arrest or trespass someone on public property if the individual chooses not to leave and there’s no where else to go.
Today, the City has limited tools to address issues of homelessness even for the relatively small population of people living unhoused in Kirkland.
Looking ahead, if there were to be a sudden change in homeless population in Kirkland, how would the community want the City to respond?