Seattle City Council members will get their first formal look Tuesday at a wide ranging proposal that could eventually force most RVs and travel trailers off ci
Seattle City Council members will get their first formal look Tuesday at a wide-ranging proposal that could eventually force most RVs and travel trailers off city streets unless people living in them are actively working with outreach workers toward shelter or housing.
Ahead of the first hearing, Councilmember Dan Strauss offered new details Monday about how the six-bill package would be enforced, how the city would spend the $5 million already set aside for the effort, and when an RV could ultimately be towed.
"The way we've been addressing motor homes, RVs has not been working for our city," Strauss told KOMO News.
The legislation, called the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program, would pair tougher parking restrictions with outreach, safe lots, vehicle storage and case management for people living in vehicles. The package is scheduled for its first discussion before the City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 9:30 a.m. A committee vote is expected in September.
Under the proposal, RVs and travel trailers without a city permit would generally be limited to two hours on Seattle streets and could not park overnight. People who receive a permit and remain engaged with outreach could park for up to 72 hours at a time in designated industrial areas while working toward shelter or permanent housing. The restrictions would not take effect until 2027.
Strauss said Monday that enforcement would initially involve warnings.
"Your first three offenses are warnings, and then from there, if you are still not complying with the law, you are subject to impound without notice," Strauss said. He added that parking enforcement could still provide 24 hours' notice, but the proposed legislation would remove the requirement to do so.
Strauss said permit holders would be connected to specific outreach workers and geographic areas rather than simply being allowed to move RVs from one neighborhood to another.
"If you are in Ballard, you can't move to SoDo because your caseworkers aren't in SoDo," Strauss said, describing what he called a place-based system intended to keep people connected with outreach and housing workers.
The proposal comes after years of complaints in neighborhoods including Ballard and SoDo about deteriorating RVs, garbage, fires and crime associated with some encampments.
Robin Campbell, who works in Ballard and said he has watched the problem for years, told KOMO News he has seen "huge fires" and "hatchet fights" in the area.
Campbell said he supports the city's proposed approach.
"I think that's going to be a great solution," Campbell said. "I've talked to the police over the years several times, and they all tell me that they're hamstrung."
Strauss also raised concerns about the condition of some older RVs, saying aging vehicles can contain building materials and chemicals that pose potential health and environmental problems. He said the eventual goal is clear: "In a year from now, we are no longer going to allow RVs and fifth wheels on our streets, and we need to care for the people who are currently living in them."
The city already has roughly $5 million reserved for the effort, $3.5 million in ongoing funding and another $1.5 million in one-time money. Strauss said the money would be used to build city teams, bolster contracted outreach, create safe places for people and help move vehicle residents into permanent housing.
Asked whether Seattle can afford the program while facing potentially significant budget cuts, Strauss said, "This is a problem that we can't afford to not do."
Strauss said the city intends to model future safe lots on programs he considers successful rather than earlier efforts that offered little more than a place to park. He pointed to Salmon Bay Village, where residents had access to showers, kitchens and tiny homes while transitioning away from their vehicles.
He also points to Lacey as legal precedent for stronger restrictions on RV parking.
Lacey adopted restrictions in 2019 affecting people living in RVs and other vehicles on public property. A related Lacey ordinance limiting large vehicles and trailers on public streets and lots was challenged in court. Still, the Washington Supreme Court rejected the constitutional challenge in Potter v. City of Lacey in 2024.
Strauss said Seattle's proposal is designed to draw a distinction between vehicle residents who need assistance and a smaller number of RVs creating outsized problems in neighborhoods.
"There are most people who are living in their vehicles that really just need our help," Strauss said. "There are a very small group of people that live in RVs that are causing a disproportionate amount of impact on Seattleites."
The City Council's first debate over where to draw that line begins Tuesday.
