Camping in certain public spaces in Anchorage will soon be a criminal offense, after the Assembly on Tuesday narrowly approved a proposal backed by the mayor.
The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for homeless residents to camp on streets, sidewalks, railroad tracks and bridges, and within 200 feet of major trail systems. It also criminalizes camping within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, child care centers and homeless shelters. Plus, the construction of makeshift “hard-walled, hard-roofed, or hard-floored structures” on public land is criminalized.
Initially, the ordinance would have banned all public camping, but Mayor Suzanne LaFrance introduced a more narrow version that she said targets public safety concerns at large camps.
“Letting people permanently camp in public spaces is not safe,” LaFrance said. “It’s not healthy. It’s not a solution.”
The offenses would be a mix of class A and class B misdemeanors, though the version passed by the Assembly greatly reduces the fines associated with those crimes. Ordinarily, a Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to a year in prison, while Class B has a fine of up to $2,000 and up to six months in prison. The version of the ordinance the Assembly passed reduces those misdemeanor fines for prohibited camping to a maximum of $500 for Class A and $250 for Class B.
Midtown Anchorage Assembly member Erin Baldwin Day voted against the ordinance. She said public camping is already prohibited by law, and the city doesn’t have any sanctioned camping areas.
“What this ordinance does is it asks us to identify criminalized areas, special areas,” Baldwin Day said. “But it turns a completely blind eye to the fact that there is no legal place for folks who are unsheltered.”
The ordinance was approved 7 to 5. Members Zac Johnson, Daniel Volland, Scott Myers, Keith McCormick, Kameron Perez-Verdia, Yarrow Silvers and Jared Goecker supported it.
The ordinance takes effect in a week.