Keep Clear
Keep Clear
Keep Clear locations are public areas that the City has identified for ongoing management because of health, safety, environmental, infrastructure, or other operational concerns.
The City uses the Keep Clear designation to prioritize encampment management, site restoration, and maintenance of public spaces. Some locations may require a more rapid response when conditions create an immediate health or safety concern.
Keep Clear Locations
The map below shows locations that have completed the Homeless Encampment Management (HEM) process and have been designated as Keep Clear locations. Certain areas are managed as Keep Clear based on their inherent safety or operational risks. These may include transportation corridors, rights-of-way, waterways, creeks, culverts, flood-prone areas, construction zones, and other locations where camping may present a significant risk to health and safety or interfere with public infrastructure. These locations may not be identified by this map.
Keep Clear locations are subject to ongoing monitoring and may receive regular abatement, and site-management activities.
View Keep Clear Map
How Does a Location Become Keep Clear?
A location may become a Keep Clear location for several reasons.
HEM Process
Locations that have completed the City's HEM process may be designated as Keep Clear locations.
HEM is a coordinated approach to encampment management that includes outreach, site assessment, enforcement when appropriate, cleanup, and restoration of public spaces. Because significant City resources are invested in these locations, ongoing management helps maintain the site for its intended public use.
Health and Safety Risks
Some locations have conditions that create an elevated risk to people who camp there or to the surrounding community. These may include:
Transportation corridors and rights-of-way
Waterways, creeks, and culverts
Flood-prone areas
Construction zones
Areas with significant environmental or infrastructure concerns
Locations where camping may create a risk to public safety or interfere with the intended use of public property
The City prioritizes these locations to reduce risks to life and safety, protect public infrastructure and the environment, and maintain access to public spaces.
Because conditions can change quickly, particularly in waterways and flood-prone areas, the City may need to respond more quickly when severe weather or another immediate safety concern is present.
Outreach and Notice
The City works to provide outreach and notice before encampment management activities whenever possible.
Outreach teams work to connect people experiencing homelessness with available shelter, housing assistance, and other supportive services. When a location is scheduled for cleanup or closure, City staff and community partners work to notify people at the site and provide information about available resources.
When an immediate health or safety threat exists, the City may need to take action without the standard advance-notice period.
What Happens at a Keep Clear Location?
When the City responds to a Keep Clear location, the response may include:
Information about shelter and housing resources
Coordination with family or other support networks when appropriate
Removal of abandoned or unauthorized property and debris
Cleanup and restoration of the site
Continued monitoring and maintenance
Enforcement of applicable laws and City Code when appropriate
The availability of shelter, housing, transportation, and other services varies based on individual circumstances and available resources.
Why Does the City Have Keep Clear Locations?
Keep Clear locations allow the City to focus resources on areas where encampments may create significant health, safety, environmental, infrastructure, or public-access concerns.
The City's goal is to connect people experiencing homelessness with appropriate services while restoring and maintaining public spaces so they remain safe, accessible, and available for their intended use.