VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — Homeless encampments lining Washington state highways may remain longer than expected as budget cuts loom.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the state’s upcoming transportation budget may reduce funds dedicated to clearing these camps. The proposed cuts total $4.3 million statewide.
Starting in July, WSDOT could have fewer resources to remove encampments from highways in Clark County.
A WSDOT spokesperson told KATU the 2023–2025 funding stood at $13.54 million, but the 2025–2027 proposal lowers it to $9.24 million.
“Less funding means we won’t be able to do as much work, but at this point it’s still too soon to discuss specifics,”
— Stefanie Randolph, WSDOT Communications Director
In the current budget cycle, Clark County received $500,000 from WSDOT to assist in addressing homeless encampments. The City of Vancouver contributed another $400,000, bringing the total to $900,000.
“We already get a lot of calls about just like the cleanup, even unrelated to homelessness, the litter on the side of the freeway. The city kind of gets the bulk of those calls,”
— Jamie Spinelli, Homeless Response Coordinator, Vancouver
“I think people would see crews being less responsive just because they don’t have the capacity to do so,”
— Spinelli added
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