New Hope's Puyallup Homeless Center Must Comply With Code: Ruling

PUYALLUP, WA - A resource center for homeless people in downtown Puyallup must upgrade its facility to meet stringent city code, a hearing examiner has ruled. New Hope Resource Center provides services for homeless adults during daytime hours, but the city claims the center has had a significant negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

The ruling means that New Hope will have to add new fencing and lighting, establish a code of conduct, and keep an incident log, among other strictures. The hearing examiner, however, struck down a few city code requirements - including the hiring of a private security guard and requiring New Hope clean up "paraphernalia" near the property.

The case dates back to 2017, when the city ordered New Hope to upgrade the facilities under the significant impact business license ordinance. Those upgrades were:

• A code of conduct for people the facility serves
• Build a "sight-obscuring" fence along the western and southern part of the New Hope property
• Remove trash around the center
• Hire a private security guard during daytime hours
• Keep an incident log of "crime, breaches of the peace"
• Report any crimes to Puyallup police
• Allow Puyallup police to trespass people from the property
• Set up a telephone complaint line
• Install new exterior lighting

Patch has reached out to New Hope for comment about how the new code requirements. The hearing took place on Sept. 24.

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