Three members of the Anchorage Assembly will on Tuesday introduce a new ordinance that would reinstate criminal penalties for unauthorized camping on public property. The effort is meant to address the lawless criminal encampments that have overtaken much of the city.
The proposal, sponsored by Assembly Members Keith McCormick (South Anchorage, Girdwood), Scott Myers, and Jared Goecker (both representing Chugiak, Eagle River, and Birchwood), would amend sections of the Anchorage Municipal Code to classify unlawful camping on public premises as a class B misdemeanor. The ordinance also includes enforcement protocols that aim to comply with recent court rulings, including the US Supreme Court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which gives localities the authority to police and abate these encampments.
In 2024, the Assembly debated two previous ordinances that attempted to reintroduce criminal penalties for squatting on public land. One of those ordinances, AO 2024-26, had its criminal provisions stripped before the final version (AO 2024-26(S)) was adopted. Another proposal, AO 2024-39, which retained those penalties, was postponed indefinitely despite strong public testimony in favor of enforcement options beyond simple abatement.
Since then, the municipality has had to rely solely on abatement measures outlined in Title 15 of the code to address illegal encampments, a process that has proven slow and ineffective at reducing the spread of camps in children’s parks, trails, greenbelts, along waterways, and in parking lots and other public spaces.
The ordinance directly addresses the gaps left behind by previous legislative efforts and provides law enforcement with a tool, used successfully in other cities like Tacoma, to help restore public safety and the shared use of our public spaces.
Davis Park in the Mountain View neighborhood has been a frequent site for dozens of encampments that can grow elaborate into multi-story structures. Chester Creek, Ship Creek, Campbell Creek greenbelts, Third and Ingra, and Spenard are also locations of notable encampments, some that feature things like like stolen outhouses and generators.
Modeled after Tacoma’s 2022 “Use of Public Property” ordinance, the Anchorage proposal would apply to individuals who knowingly camp or store personal belongings on public land, and violations would be charged as misdemeanors. The ordinance also includes provisions designed to align with a legal framework established by federal courts, which have emphasized that cities must ensure adequate shelter options before enforcing anti-camping laws.
A year ago, the Assembly’s homelessness chairman Felix Rivera said no such ordinance would ever pass.
“It is important to note that the ruling addresses the criminalization and prosecution of people sleeping in public space. It has never been the practice or policy of the Municipality to actively prosecute people experiencing homelessness for the simple act of camping in public,” Rivera said at the time. “Most recently, this April, the Assembly indefinitely postponed AO 2024-39, an ordinance proposed by the Bronson Administration which would have amended Title 8 to criminally penalize public camping.”
Rivera said “Today, the Municipality has all the tools we need to humanely address life, health, and safety in our community. Abatement is only one of the many tools and the Assembly approved AO 2024-55(S), As Amended, revising the regulations that prioritize abatement just last month.”
Rivera’s opposition to the ordinance last year may indicate that this year’s effort will also fail to pass the Assembly and that the vagrant camps will simply be moved around through periodic abatement efforts.
Although the ordinance will be introduced at Tuesday’s regular meeting, public comment will not be taken until June 24, at the earliest, before the measure can proceed to a vote from the entire 12-member Assembly.
The meeting is in the Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library, 3600 Denali, Room 108. starting at around 5 pm. The complete agenda is at this link.
Live Streaming and Archived meetings/Podcasts at http://www.muni.org/watchnow
Live Streaming available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@moameetings
