HAMPTON — City Council delayed a vote Wednesday to ban camping and storage on public property, which would have cleared the way for the city to criminalize homeless encampments.
Mayor Jimmy Gray said the decision came after individual conversations with council members, and a new version of the ordinance will be presented in August.
“Our planners asked staff to come back to meet with various stakeholders and interested parties to perhaps together see if we can reach consensus on how best to address the needs and issues of neighborhoods and businesses which prompted our consideration of the ordinance in the first place, while ensuring Hampton remains the compassionate community we strive to be,” Gray said.
Nearly 20 people spoke at Wednesday’s council ӽ紫ý against the proposal, with some critical of how it would affect homeless people and highlighting the need for more resources such as affordable housing.
Resident Daniel Washko spoke about a homeless person in his Phoebus neighborhood he encountered last winter who asked for $10 to put gas in his truck so he wouldn’t freeze overnight. He said people may not have the resources to ask for help. Washko added with potential federal cuts to and, more Hampton residents will be struggling to make ends meet.
“While I’m happy that this is deferred, we are sitting on a powder keg,” Washko said. “It’s going to be more challenging for families in Hampton to make it. There’s a lot of crises going on. We need to find solutions that don’t criminalize, but support and provide assistance.”
Hampton’s anyone from camping, sleeping or storing personal items on public property, and allows the city to seize any unattended possessions for up to 30 days.
The city would have been required to give anyone in violation a warning, “reasonable time to comply” and information on other resources such as housing assistance programs or homeless shelters. However, repeat offenses would have resulted in a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, up to $2,500 fine, or both.
Though the ordinance language alludes to people experiencing homelessness being impacted by the ban, The U.S. Supreme Court so far as they criminalize actions anyone could commit. The ruling created opportunities for cities nationwide to clear out homeless encampments. Virginia ӽ紫ý, for example, has in the past year.
More than 2,000 people experience homelessness throughout a year on the Peninsula, , and the region is projected to see a 15% rise in homelessness over the next three years. The city’s housing resources have also
More than 400 people were found to be experiencing homelessness on the Peninsula during a 24-hour period in January 2024, according to , a 14% decrease from the previous year.
Speakers at Wednesday’s ӽ紫ý said they didn’t buy the council’s stance the ordinance doesn’t target Hampton’s homeless population.
“This ends up being a punishment for sleeping, for existing,” said Bjorn Koxvold, a government relations manager with ForKids, a local nonprofit that deals with housing instability. “At this point, we have to recognize that we have a homeless population, and that homeless population exists, and we have to find a way to live with them in a humane way, and providing a misdemeanor is not helpful.”
The ForKids’ regional housing crisis hotline received more than 6,000 calls last year. Koxvold said there isn’t enough housing stock to support the city’s homeless population.
Resident Cassandra Alston-Townsley criticized the proposed ordinance as cruel and said confiscating items from people who have nothing is inhumane.
“These aren’t just items for someone living on the street,” Alston-Townsley said. “A blanket is safety. An IV is survival. A photo is memory. A journal is dignity, and I remember what it felt like to hold on to one thing that reminded me that I was still somebody.”
City Manager Mary Bunting said the ordinance came from residents’ complaints about people exhibiting disturbing behavior in public such as urinating or defecating.
“It is true, most often, they are homeless. Not always,” Bunting said.
When those calls come in, police can’t respond quickly enough to see that behavior happening, Bunting said. As a result, the ordinance was an attempt to have a penalty available, even if it isn’t enforced.
“This council is a very compassionate body, but we also have an obligation to other people in our community,” Bunting said. “Hopefully we can come up with something better together.”
City staff will meet with stakeholders and interest groups to revise the ordinance, and present findings Aug. 13. Council will take a final vote on a revised ordinance on Sept. 24.
Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, devlin.epding@virginiamedia.com
