Aberdeen Council set to rescind closure of homeless camp

After voting to close the Temporary Alternative Shelter Location (TASL), the City of Aberdeen will rescind that vote due to a statewide moratorium on evictions.

On March 11, the Aberdeen City Council voted to close the TASL next to City Hall citing lack of supportive funding from outside the City budget, confirming that vote on April 8. 

However, at their Wednesday meeting the Council will look to rescind those motions and extend the Temporary Use Permit as well as authorize the budget required to maintain operations after guidance from the Ad Hoc Committee of Homeless response and Corporation Counsel.

According to the agenda for the meeting, this move is to maintain compliance with the current Governors Proclamations.

Following their original motion to place a May 15, 2020 end date on the TASL, Governor Inslee issued Proclamation 20-19 on March 18, which placed a moratorium on evictions through May 4, 2020, followed by an extension to that Proclamation that moved the moratorium until June 4, 2020.

According to a report from the Ad Hoc Committee, on Friday, April 24, 2020, the City of Aberdeen was informed by the Office of the Washington State Attorney General that the state interprets the  Proclamations to be applicable to the TASL and therefore the planned closure is prohibited.

On Wednesday, the City Council is expected to rescind their motions and allocate funding from their own budget to extend the operation for the time being.