Astoria City Council’s new camping proposal goes into effect at the same time it's downtown shelter may close

People experiencing homelessness in Astoria will have to abide by new camping codes going into effect Wednesday, July 15. The changes to the camping codes make it illegal for people to camp knowingly on public property if they have access to “reasonable shelter,” which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The code also provides exemptions depending on someone’s circumstances.

At the same time, Clatsop County budget and funding formula changes  mean one of the city’s low-barrier shelters, LiFEBoat, will be seeing major cuts that could lead to a reduction in services and even closure. Osarch Orak is the executive director of the shelter. He joins us to share more on what these camping code changes mean for the nonprofit and the people they serve.