Over the past five years, homelessness has become a significant problem regionally and here in Federal Way.

Different cities have chosen different paths to follow in response to the challenge. Redmond, Auburn, Olympia and others have chosen a compassionate approach and have established ways to manage the issue with overnight housing, tents, rest facilities, or links to social services.

In Olympia, it was with tiny houses. In neighboring Auburn, Mayor Nancy Backus was recently honored in Washington, D.C., by the American Medical Association for her efforts in the health arena, including a homelessness task force she started in 2015.

Others have taken a less benevolent approach and treated the homeless as only drug-addicted criminals. We have been closer to the latter category, although there is hope that is changing.

The homeless reflect much of the rest of the community and may have many different challenges that need assistance. Drugs may or may not be one of them. You would be surprised to find out how many people you know who could find themselves homeless and on your couch if they lost their job.

In Federal Way, Mayor Jim Ferrell’s policy for the last four years – previously supported by a majority of the city council – has been to criminalize homelessness by closing their encampments and requiring them to move, preferably out of town.

Ferrell’s policy has been to use police to remove the homeless from both private property and public property as trespassers. In 2016, the goal was to eliminate all 13 encampments at a cost estimated by city staff in a report to the Federal Way City Council at $30,000 to $50,000 per encampment. Since that time, several other camps have been closed, some more than once. Costs are primarily staff time for cleanup.

But with a new year came two new council members and a different city council perspective. The issue was viewed as less a police issue and more a social responsibility, with recognition that the homeless also were in need of many other services.

With his prosecutor background, Ferrell has been reluctant to move in that direction. But with the council’s nudge and homeless advocate Sharry Edwards’ continued prodding, Ferrell has finally looked for new ideas. Ferrell acknowledges his perspective has changed.

Ferrell’s recent appointment of a 30-person committee with a broad and impressive array of knowledgeable professionals, led by Edwards, includes representatives from the Multi-Service Center, Reach Out, Valley Cities Mental Health, CHI Franciscan Health, faith-based organizations and other professionals.

Ferrell’s opponent in last year’s mayoral race, Councilmember Susan Honda, has been a strong advocate for a more thoughtful and multi-faceted solution to the problem. In the year-long runup the the election, Ferrell took steps to appear supportive and had Edwards and Honda co-chair a committee for homeless mothers and children. Some thought the effort was superficial, given Ferrell’s past approach and their interest in a broader and deeper solution.

The committee did make some progress, and a local church stepped in and provided winter sleeping space. But that was considered temporary and no permanent solution is yet in place.

A legislative allocation of $100,000 to the city and an alliance with Seattle-based Mary’s Place, which is on the committee, offers the best hope at this time. It is a respected organization, but money and a facility are still the primary needs, and the legislative support is likely not sufficient. Many have advocated for a committee like this for the four years Ferrell has been in office.

They hope this will be the beginning of a true discussion leading to compassionate solutions to our homelessness challenge – and not just another photo opportunity. Ferrell had previously slow walked into supporting the Day Center so the homeless would have a place to get a meal, take a shower, have a mailing address and make contact with social service agencies. That was followed by the Homeless Mothers and Children’s Initiative committee last year. But after four years, no permanent overnight shelter.

Even as the committee has been announced with great fanfare, photos and a membership that reeks with great possibilities, there remains some skepticism. The committee membership includes several city employees, including the mayor’s office, as voting members of the committee rather than staff advisors to the committee. A subtle difference, but one that if not carefully monitored could affect the committee direction.

And Ferrell has asked for the committee’s final report to him to be done by Dec. 21, 2018. That is three months into the Northwest’s cold and rainy season and could leave the homeless with another winter of no permanent shelter. Of greater concern is the position from the mayor’s spokesperson that closure of homeless encampments is likely to continue, leaving some with no overnight options, and that the committee’s work will be done in secret.

At this writing, neither the public nor the media will be allowed to attend committee or subcommittee meetings. No one has suggested that the public should be able to interrupt the committee deliberations with comments. But to deny the media or other interested residents from simply sitting in the meeting room or reporting to the public the committee’s progress on such an important issue raises many questions and gives pause for misunderstanding or worse, mistrust.

The questions posed by the mayor’s office to the committee are good questions, requiring thoughtful discussion from knowledgeable professionals. The public should be allowed to hear or read about informed debate. Skeptics recall the closed meetings of the mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on the Performing Arts and Events Center (PAEC) resulted in a fait accompli, rather than a public vote of the residents. Also, the mayor’s chief of staff wanted the Violence Prevention Committee (VPC) to meet in secret and only relented after he was challenged by the Federal Way Mirror. Ferrell also supported opening the meetings to the public.

The final report on the homeless will be available to the public and will likely contain several expensive options. Shouldn’t the public, who pay the bill, get to know how the decisions were made? Mayor Ferrell should welcome media coverage, and if not, the city council should demand it.

Because the future of too many people, unable to speak for themselves, hangs in the balance to allow the decisions to be made in secret. And without the impartial observation the media provides, the results could be looked upon with some degree of suspicion.

If compassion is to truly replace criminalization, then start by providing public land, tents, restroom facilities and social service support to those in need, rather than continuing police escorts off the only place they might have to sleep. Follow that with a mandate that all meetings of the committee be advertised and be open to the public with published minutes. Don’t let a good and long overdue idea be diminished by concealing its discussion from the public.

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.