SPOKANE--The City of Spokane is considering a new draft ordinance to help regulate the homeless tent cities that popped up around town last year.

KREM.com

The City of Spokane is considering an ordinance to regulate homeless tent cities like this one that popped up last winter.

The City will not ban the encampments, but instead wants to make them cleaner and safer when they do pop up.

Many homeowners complained last year when tent cities appeared and one location was close to a school and had sex offenders living there.

The ordinance would enforce the following guidelines: organizer must have a permit, the location must be on private property and 750 feet away from schools (unless owned by a church), toilets and washing stations must be set up, no more than 100 people would be allowed at a time, no sex offenders would be allowed, the camp could only last 90 days, and must also abide by fire safety and parking regulations.

Some of the tent city organizers that KREM 2 News talked to Monday night said they would welcome the ordinance and policing inside the tent city.

The council is expected to vote on the ordinance Oct. 20.