Homeless start new tent city on private lots

A tent city for homeless people was established on private property in east Spokane on Thursday, the latest demonstration over the city’s low-income housing situation.

“If you are going to put people in boxes, you have to have enough boxes to put them in,” said Dave Bilsland, an advocate for the homeless.

Bilsland said about a dozen people will camp on two private lots near East Mission and North Napa. On Tuesday, activists agreed to disband a protest camp on Riverside Avenue near Monroe Street after reaching a tentative agreement with the city.

Bilsland said the temporary accommodations – including additional space at the House of Charity and temporary motel vouchers from Catholic Charities – did not address the city’s dearth of low-income housing. He alleged city officials had since failed to listen to his suggestions.

“They shut down communications with me,” Bilsland said. “They didn’t bargain with me in good faith.”

A city official denied the allegation.

“I certainly don’t think we negotiated in bad faith,” said Marlene Feist, the city’s spokeswoman. “We have been talking with him for weeks.”

Bilsland said the city needs four to five additional buildings to provide low-income housing in Spokane. The tent city does not violate Spokane’s camping ban because it is sited on private property, he said.