Bill seeks to curtail homeless camps
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RANDOLPH COUNTY — An area legislator said that he's shepherding a bill through the N.C. General Assembly that's meant to address concerns expressed by cities and counties and their residents about homeless camps.
Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph, is a primary cosponsor of House Bill 781, which would prohibit unauthorized homeless encampments on public property in the state. Exemptions to the proposal would have to come with the acceptance of local government officials and meet specific requirements.
'I saw some of the problems that local municipalities were having with long-term encampments and the damage that they were causing to the areas that they occupied,' Biggs told The High Point Enterprise. 'I felt the need to do something to protect the communities that were being affected by these camps. Municipalities reached out for guidance, surrounding property owners worried about their property values and communities worried about the cleanliness, dignity and the safety of the people inhabiting these camps.'
House Bill 781 would set parameters for cities, towns and counties to allow for homeless camps, which could only remain in place for up to a year.
A local government would have to show that there aren't enough local shelter beds available for its homeless population to allow for an encampment. The camp site wouldn't be allowed adjacent to property zoned residential and couldn't 'adversely or materially affect the property value or safety' of any residential or commercial property, the bill states.
A municipal or county government would have to address public safety and accommodations, such as access to well-maintained restrooms, options for mental health treatment and enforcement of prohibitions on substance abuse.
House Bill 781 would require the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to review the local government plan before a municipality or county could allow for a homeless camp.
Critics of the proposal argue that banning homeless camps statewide on public property would lead to the criminalization of homeless people from enforcement of the law and further complicate the lives of people on the margins of society.
Biggs saide that his goal is to help people in homeless camps who can be in desperate situations.
'The hope is that we can help the people who are living in these situations through some of the remedies in the bill and also help the municipalities respond to a growing problem in the state,' he said.
pjohnson@hpenews.com | 336-888-3528 | @HPEpaul
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