The Battle Ground City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting unauthorized camping on public property following a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 3.
The new regulation, Ordinance 2025-02, will take effect on March 5, 2025, imposing escalating fines for violations but no jail time.
“This is a very serious issue ... This is one part of a multifaceted approach to homelessness and it is a small part,” Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy said.
The ordinance bans camping in parks, streets, sidewalks, plazas and other city-owned spaces. It also restricts the use of vehicles as dwellings on public property, except for recreational vehicles that comply with local and state laws. Violators will receive an initial notice with an opportunity to comply. If violations persist, fines start at $100 for the first infraction and can increase to $200 and a 30-day exclusion order for repeat offenses within a year.
Battle Ground joins other Southwest Washington cities, including Woodland and Washougal, in adopting similar restrictions. The policies follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2024 ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which upheld the authority of local governments to enforce camping bans.
Woodland passed its ordinance in November 2024, followed by Washougal in December.
During the public hearing, Battle Ground resident David Terry voiced his support for the measure while acknowledging potential limitations.
“I do, however, think it’s not gonna be the last time we work on this ordinance. Because ... in my opinion, it’s difficult to use fines to move people. If you find someone and move them out of an encampment, what keeps them (from) moving to the next encampment, that’s a very difficult problem,” Terry said.
Another resident, Richard Lewis, also spoke in favor of the ordinance. He recounted past struggles with individuals camping on his commercial property and the challenges law enforcement faced in removing them without a city policy in place.
According to the Council for the Homeless, a Vancouver-based advocacy group, 156 individuals experiencing homelessness were identified in the Battle Ground ZIP code in 2023, accounting for 2.4% of Clark County’s homeless population counted at the time. The organization opposes camping bans, arguing that they exacerbate homelessness rather than address it.
“Camping bans are often viewed as a tool to solve homelessness. Unfortunately, camping bans do the opposite,” Charlene Welch, chief advancement officer of the Council for the Homeless, said in an email to The Reflector. “Experiencing homelessness is exhausting and complex, and sleep is a human need. Criminalizing camping makes it much harder for people, already living in survival mode, to end their homelessness, access services and secure housing. People are forced to move frequently, which makes it more difficult for social service providers to stay in contact. Debt accrued from citations can damage credit scores, making it harder to become a renter. Being incarcerated creates a criminal record and likely further involvement in the criminal justice system, as court appearances can be difficult to make when one’s focus is daily survival. A criminal record also poses numerous challenges for employment and housing. Instead of a camping ban, Council for the Homeless urges local jurisdictions to work with their agency and other service providers to collaborate, to fully understand the factors at play and to identify solutions that help end homelessness rather than prolong it.”
The future of city-mandated camping prohibitions is uncertain. Earlier, on Feb. 3, an Oregon judge ordered the city of Grants Pass to halt enforcement of its camping rules following a lawsuit from Disability Rights Oregon.
Mayor McCoy acknowledged potential uncertainties following the public hearing.
“Who knows where we end up, but I thank staff for working on this, getting this done and getting legal through with this,” McCoy said.
Additionally, state lawmakers are considering legislation that could impact local enforcement of camping bans.
House Bill 1380, introduced on Jan. 17, would require city ordinances restricting public camping to be “objectively reasonable” in terms of time, place and manner. The bill would also allow individuals to challenge the legality of such regulations in court. Supporters argue it protects the rights of homeless individuals, while opponents fear it could expose cities to costly litigation. As of press time, the bill has advanced to the Appropriations Committee. Readers can follow its progress at shorturl.at/zLbwq.
