Cities Advance Public Camping Ordinances

Jonesboro approved an ordinance barring overnight camping in city parks and parking lots except in designated areas, authorizing officers to remove violators and their belongings and allowing fines. In Birmingham, a council committee advanced a draft ban on camping and encampments on public property that also calls for outreach and help finding shelter; it still needs full council approval, and members raised questions about its scope. In Mansfield, a council member said he would seek to delay a proposed downtown camping ban, citing community feedback and the unfinished expansion of local shelter capacity. The measures reflect differing local approaches, including enforcement paired with outreach and concerns about whether shelter options are sufficient.