Springfield council to discuss rule banning public camping

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Tonight, the Springfield City Council will discuss an agenda item that would ban public camping.

The agenda item, labelled 2024-376 reads, " that the City Council hereby amends Title XIII, Chapter 130 by adding Section 130.008 pertaining to the prohibition of public camping in the 1988 City of Springfield Code of Ordinances, as amended..." The document defines a campsite as a space not within an established structure where bedding, personal property, or a fire is placed for the purpose of a temporary place to live. You can read the full ordinance here.

The ordinance was requested by Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher and Ward 5 alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase.

Business owners, residents, and advocacy groups have spoken out about the ordinance online, saying it will leave those facing housing insecurity in a difficult spot. One of those groups is the Heartland Continuum of Care, a nonprofit in Springfield aiming to end homelessness by 2028. Housing Navigator Nick Dodson says the city didn't reach out to community experts or social service agencies while writing the ordinance.

"I'm really disappointed in the city leadership," said Dodson. "I can quantitatively tell you this is not what's best for the community in Springfield, creating another mark on individual's records will create more barriers to housing."

The ordinance includes fines of up to $750 and jail time for repeated offenses. If police enforce the ban, individuals sleeping on the streets will have further difficulties securing housing.

"Whenever we are creating more and more citations, more and more records of involvement with criminal justice, it's not going to end homelessness," said Dodson. "Landlords can discriminate on interactions with criminal justice on their backgrounds."

The ordinance is up for emergency passage in city council tonight.