Shoreline, WA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

SMC § 20.30.295 governs temporary uses citywide, and subsection E adds specific criteria for transitional encampments and emergency temporary shelters hosted by a public agency, registered nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, or religious organization. The temporary use permit fee is waived for these uses, and the applicant must hold a neighborhood meeting before applying. A transitional encampment is capped at 100 residents, with a minimum site of 7,500 square feet for the first 50 residents plus 150 square feet for each additional resident, and setbacks of 10 feet from neighboring property lines and 5 feet from rights-of-way.

On sanitation and safety, the applicant must provide adequate sanitary facilities, keep smoking areas at least 25 feet from neighboring residential property with provided ashtrays, supply 2A-10BC rated fire extinguishers within 75 feet of any part of the site, and use only fire-resistant, labeled tent materials, with a fire permit (fee waived) required for tents over 400 square feet. The applicant must adopt a code of conduct prohibiting alcohol, drug use, and violence, and for encampments, must screen residents against sex-offender and warrant checks using government-issued identification submitted to the King County Sheriff's Office Communications Center.

Both encampments and shelters must allow unannounced inspections by the City, King County Health Department, and Shoreline Fire Department during the permit period, plus a Fire Department inspection during the first week of occupancy. The permit runs up to 90 days, extendable to 180 days for compliant hosts, and the same site cannot host another encampment within 180 days of the prior permit's expiration; the host must restore the property at expiration.