Today I received an email from the city’s task force on homelessness. It included a report from the police department outlining crime statistics since homeless encampments began regularly plopping down in Redmond.

The report is clear that every time homeless encampments are in town, crime reports and crime rise. The report is equally clear that the police aren’t concluding the encampments are the cause for these increases. While it is true that correlation is not causation, the correlation is damning and confirms what I’ve seen in my neighborhood when the encampments are nearby.

Homeless encampments are not and have never been a solution to homelessness. Loosening of development restrictions to allow development of more types of permanent housing, combined with meaningful reforms in mental health care and associated legislation is what’s required.

Citizens of Redmond deserve a city in which their safety is prioritized. Until progress is made on real solutions to homelessness, the city council should impose a moratorium on homeless encampments.

Jeff Miller

Redmond