City councilmembers moved forward on two pieces of legislation that will have broad implications for homeless encampments and how best to serve the people who live in them.
In the first, councilmembers unanimously voted to spend $500,000 to move and house Nickelsville residents by Sept. 1. In the second, members of a housing and human services committee approved a proposal to allow nonreligious groups, but not the city, to host encampments of up to 100 people.
“We’re not looking at encampments as being the be-all, end-all,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. ...