‘No sit, no lie’ ordinance hasn’t solved anything in Everett

Published 1:30 am Friday, October 31, 2025

Everett’s “no sit, no lie” buffer zone ordinance was intended to address public safety concerns, but after two years of implementation, we must ask if it is truly working, and if so, for whom (“Everett council to consider extending ‘no sit, no lie’ law,” The Herald, Oct. 9). As was stated in council chambers at the Oct. 15 council meeting, this ordinance is explicitly the will of the Downtown Everett Association. The policy’s focus on enforcement has not reduced the number of unhoused individuals (nor is that its aim, sadly) but instead, in many cases, has moved them to other parts of the city. In some cases, more dangerous areas — like the sides of highways, where one encampment was just hit by a car and a man run over — and further from services and transit.

True revitalization, and possible rehabilitation, depends on addressing the underlying issues, not simply shuffling a persistent and growing crisis out of sight.

From my conversations and time spent with those unhoused, it seems that personal connections and service coordination are vital; and pushing people to different neighborhoods is an impediment to any such effort.

Renewing the “no sit, no lie” ordinance solves nothing. We need to focus on what works and make a real, holistic, lasting difference for our community and our neighbors.

Scott Sparling

Everett