The Wichita City Council has voted for stronger enforcement of an ordinance against illegal camping. The move, which supporters argued would simplify the ordinance, came after two hours of public comment.
The council voted 4-3 in favor on Dec. 17. Enforcement will begin in January.
The new limits approved by the council allow for rapid removal of reported encampments by law enforcement, city workers and contractors by eliminating the need to post notices to vacate. A particular focal point will be locations that “pose health and safety concerns” such as doorways, sidewalks, areas near bridges, bus shelters, playground and the multi-agency center campus.
Fines for illegal camping will also be lowered from up to $500 to up to $200. The ultimate fine is at the discretion of a judge who can substitute the cost in community service for $10 an hour. Opponents still worried that allowing for more clean-ups would result in more arrests and create more instability for Wichita’s homeless.
But Wu said the spirit of the ordinance was to help rather than harm homeless individuals.
“This is not a sweep to criminalize homelessness, this is to encourage individuals in our community on our streets, on sidewalks and underneath bridges that literally have a bed right now. And it’s a 24/7 shelter so that means you do not have to leave,” she said.
Wu reminded attendees that an illegal camping ordinance with punitive measures has existed since 2013 and said that the new ordinance change will “simplify” language. According to officials, only five people have been arrested and put in jail for illegal camping violations in five years – one person was prosecuted. Wu joined council members Dalton Glasscock, J.V. Johnston and Becky Tuttle in voting for the changes.
Council members Brandon Johnson, Maggie Ballard and Mike Hoheisel opposed it, expressing concern that it was being rushed. More review was needed, they said, to determine whether stricter enforcement would really convince a homeless person to seek shelter. Ballard was in favor of tabling the ordinance until it could be reviewed by the Homelessness Task Force.