Bipartisan coalition pushes ballot initiative to address homeless encampments in King County

07/09/2025 / By Laura Harris

The Quality of Life Coalition has introduced the “Compassionate Public Safety Act,” aiming to ban unauthorized public camping in King County while ensuring shelter is offered before enforcement.
Spearheaded by former KTTH host Saul Spady, the measure targets public health and safety concerns related to visible homelessness and drug use, particularly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle.
The proposal would make public camping a misdemeanor only if shelter is declined, with immediate bans on encampments that pose health or safety risks or obstruct essential services.
Notable supporters include Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and former Democratic Rep. Jesse Johnson, both emphasizing the need for action and cultural preservation.
Internal polling shows 77 percent of King County voters support a camping ban tied to shelter access, with signature gathering underway to place the measure on the November 2025 ballot.

A newly formed bipartisan group, the Quality of Life Coalition, has launched a ballot initiative that tackles King County’s increasingly visible homeless encampment crisis.

On July 1, the coalition filed the “Compassionate Public Safety Act,” which seeks to ban unauthorized public camping while ensuring shelter options for unhoused individuals in the county. The proposed ordinance would make camping on public property, including sidewalks, parks and streets, a misdemeanor, but only if shelter space is offered and declined. It also includes an immediate ban on encampments that pose threats to public safety, obstruct government operations or endanger others, regardless of shelter availability.

Former KTTH radio host Saul Spady, who led the coalition, seeks to restore both safety and compassion to a region struggling with visible homelessness, unchecked public drug use and deteriorating public spaces.

“Whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, Independents, artists or business owners, we all see the same thing,” Spady said during his appearance on “The Jason Rantz Show.”

In line with this, Spady stressed the urgency of the measure ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Seattle is set to host international visitors.

“The entire world is coming to Seattle looking for a great city, a culturally vibrant city, a safe city and instead, they’re going to find tents,” Spady said. “They’re going to find the world’s greatest graffiti collection. They’re going to find the ‘fenty bend’ being performed on the street. And what we need to do is we need to get those who are on the street into shelter.”

Countywide volunteer and paid signature-gathering campaigns began shortly after the Fourth of July holiday, aiming to collect at least 50,000 signatures, the threshold required to place the ordinance before the King County Council. If successful, the measure could appear on the November 2025 ballot. (Related: MASS HOMELESSNESS: Housing crisis looms as eviction protections expire.)

Majority of King County voters support ban on public camping

The campaign has drawn support from a diverse group of backers, including Krist Novoselic, founding member of the iconic band Nirvana.

In a press release, Novoselic expressed his concerns about the current state of the county, saying, “As an avowed Independent and music fan, I know the world is coming to Seattle looking for the soul of our music scene and quite often they find graffiti, addiction and inaction. I support the Quality of Life Coalition because this is the first step toward making King County safe, livable and worthy of our incredible cultural legacy I’m proud to be a part of.”

The initiative has also gained the endorsement of former Democratic State Rep. Jesse Johnson, who emphasized the need for decisive action.

“This initiative gives King County an on-ramp toward real solutions-housing, shelter, and ultimately healing. I support this coalition because they’re willing to act where others stall.”

Moreover, an internal polling commissioned by the coalition revealed that 77 percent of King County voters support a public camping ban when it’s tied to shelter availability. That includes broad support across party lines, underscoring the coalition’s claim that their effort is nonpartisan and grounded in the lived experiences of ordinary residents.

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Listen to this “Health Ranger Report” Situation Update, with the Health Ranger Mike Adams warning that giant homeless encampments are set to explode across the country.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.