SPOKANE, Wash. — East Central businesses, homeowners, neighborhood council representatives and county officials each had different stories to tell about living and working near the I-90 homeless encampment at a press conference Wednesday.
While their stories were different, their hopes were the same.
The growing homeless encampment in their neighborhood needs to be gone sooner rather than later.
“The continued existence of camp hope has numerous, enormous, deleterious effects on the more than 20,000 citizens that reside in the East Central neighborhood.”
The East Spokane Business Association hosted a press conference for those affected in the neighborhood where different agencies were able to share their stories and call for action.
“Camp Hope," owner of Fresh Soul Michael Brown started. "It’s got to go.”
Businesses said the camp’s negative effects are spilling into all of East Central.
Fred Meyer Manager Jesse Smith said the illegal activity happening on his property has taken a toll on business.
“We deal with drug transactions in our parking lot on a daily basis," Smith said. "This is being done in plain sight with no regard to who’s around. Customers and associates have been assaulted both inside and outside our store."
People who have lived in the neighborhood for decades said East Central is not what it was when they first moved in.
"Camp Hope has really devalued our property in the area," East Central homeowner Doug Schroeder said. "It’s not safe for anyone to be out in the neighborhood anymore."
Michael Brown of Fresh Soul said this kind of camp wouldn't be allowed in other Spokane neighborhoods.
“If we don’t do something about it, I promise you, it’ll be right in your neighborhood," Brown said. "I've watched it happen. It’s a cancer. It keeps growing and keeps growing.”
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich also took the mic to share his support in removing the camp.
“This isn’t hope," Knezovich shared. "This is hopelessness.”
Knezovich said if the Washington State Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce are able to come to the table, he believes the camp could be gone in four weeks.
“We have a good plan," Knezovich said. "If they would simply come to the table, four weeks, folks, this is done. I have no doubt. Four weeks, this is done.”
And while East Central agencies said now is the time to break down the camp, most expressed sympathy for the people living there.
“We are all a passionate community, but at some point, compassion becomes enabling,” Spokane County Commissioner Al French said.
They said they’ll never fully know all the reasons that have put those people in the positions they’re in, but there are better ways to house them and get them connected to appropriate resources.
ESBA said it hopes to see action taken before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Julie Garcia, executive director of Jewels Helping Hands, shared that her organization is now operating a hotline for East Central businesses to report disturbances or crime in the neighborhood being caused by people experiencing homelessness. The hotline can be reached at 509-666-9902.
At Wednesday's presser, the ESBA president said he was unaware this resource was available.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the hotline reported it had not received any calls of crime or disturbances.
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