PHOENIX — The Phoenix City Council has voted to ban street camping within 500 feet of schools, shelters, daycares and parks.
A vote took place and passed on Wednesday.
Phoenix city council voted to pass a ban on street camping within 500 feet of schools, shelters, daycares and parks … advocates for people experiencing homelessness voiced concerns about lack of resources, the $100 fine and class 3 misdemeanor charge creating barriers pic.twitter.com/9yTRJojzch
— Ben Brown (@bdbrown473) May 29, 2024
Earlier this year, ABC15 reported on the city of Phoenix’s plan to consider an outdoor camping ban around schools, childcare facilities and shelters.
The ban was largely influenced by a similar ban enacted by the city of San Diego last summer.
“One year later it’s like a different city,” said District 2 Phoenix Councilmember Jim Waring, who visited San Diego over Memorial Day Weekend.
Phoenix held a similar vote at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
“You don't want to recreate the wheel if you don't have to,” said District 1 Councilmember Ann O’Brien. “We did see this was working in San Diego and that's why we brought it here.”
Leaders in San Diego told ABC15 that the ban has been helpful there.
In Phoenix, the ban prevents camping within 500 feet of a school, childcare facility, shelter or city park.
Also, a violation will be treated as a class three misdemeanor, the least severe misdemeanor, carrying a $100 fine. Advocates for the unhoused told us they are worried about penalties.
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"Convictions, even if they’re for minor status offenses can really be a barrier for work and housing,” said Elizabeth Venable, founder of the Fund for Empowerment.
“There are homeless criminalization laws across the country. And one of the things they have in common is that none of them work. A recent study looked at 100 cities that have no camping ordinances and on average in those cities homelessness went up by 2.2%,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director with the National Center for Homelessness Law, “Stop moving them from place to place, stop giving people who have no money tickets.”
In Arizona, Prescott already has a similar camping ban but it’s San Diego’s policy that Phoenix leaders have publicly discussed the most.
“Phoenix has led with services,” O’Brien said. “It is not our desire to ticket folks or put them in jail. What we want to do is get them back on their feet.”
This is part of O’Brien’s proposed Homeless Solutions, released last year. The councilmember says they’re about 50% of the way to their goals.
The camping ban is not expected to go into effect until September.
