Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6) released the following statement after the Seattle City Council voted 5-4 to override Mayor Katie Wilson’s veto of CB 121283, one vote short of the required six votes to override the veto. That legislation was part of the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program (VRAP) the City Council passed on Oct. 20. 

“This legislation has always been about creating a clear road to housing for people who live in RVs. It’s about ensuring people who currently live in them can continue doing so until they can get into appropriate shelter and about creating clear boundaries around what types of vehicles are appropriate on our streets.  

“The status quo is not working — it’s not working for people living in RVs and it’s not working for their neighbors. I am proud that five of the other six pieces of VRAP legislation to cut red tape, create more services, and address junk vehicles have been passed into law. That’s progress. Before I proposed this legislation, the City of Seattle offered very few services for people living in their vehicles. Now, we’re on track to expand outreach, create new services, and add, not just one, but two safe lots. 

“I am disappointed that the mayor vetoed this legislation, after nearly a year of work, to further study the issue. We need action, not more studies. The City of Seattle continues to fall further behind other cities, from San Francisco to Lacey, Washington, in how it addresses this issue. I will continue to work toward solutions that care for people living in RVs, while creating commonsense boundaries around what types of vehicles are acceptable for residential streets. I expect the mayor’s recommendations in 60 days, as promised.”  

Background 

On Oct. 20, the Seattle City Council approved six bills that comprise the VRAP.  

On Nov. 3, Mayor Wilson vetoed one of those bills, CB 121283, after the legislation passed 6-3 by the City Council. This bill would have regulated RVs to only park on city streets for two hours at a time and provided a permit for people who are currently living in their RVs, so they can continue to do so as long as they follow the rules and remain on a waitlist for appropriate shelter. 

In vetoing the legislation, Mayor Wilson issued an executive order saying she would be putting together an additional working group to provide recommendations for programmatic, policy, and legal changes related to RVs within 60 days.  

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