DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — Douglas County has a new camping ban. Yes, they already had a camping ban, but after a new Supreme Court ruling this summer, the county that has proclaimed it has "ended homelessness" is stiffening its rules.
The number of people homeless in Douglas County is very low. In fact, the county’s gone so far as to declare the problem solved.
"We were really pleased and honored to announce just a few weeks ago that Douglas County has officially ended homelessness," Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon said at a meeting Tuesday night.
At Tuesday's meeting, commissioners took another step they said will keep it that way. The county passed a camping ban. It's the second ban in two years.
"I think the camping ban is significant," Laydon said. "Oftentimes, we’ve seen cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Portland struggle and become victims of their own compassion."
The new ban was made possible by a U.S. Supreme Court decision this summer from a case out of Oregon. Grant Pass vs. Johnson changed the law around the country, no longer requiring cities that implement a camping ban to have shelters available for people without a home. Before this decision, the county attorney said they were required to have a shelter before the camping ban could be enforced.
"It is a very small change, but it is actually a very important change and reflective of the law across the United States at this time," Douglas County Attorney Jeff Garcia said.
While Douglas County does have some services for people who are homeless, it does not have a full-time shelter. The county gives out motel vouchers and partners with a shelter in Aurora to send people needing housing there.
"The camping ban is all about reclaiming our public spaces," Laydon said. "Douglas County is a place where quality of life comes first, and we know our citizens expect a clean and safe environment."
Douglas County did a count earlier this year and determined they have six people who are currently homeless. Compare that to somewhere like Denver where more than 6,000 people are homeless. Commissioners in Douglas County said cities like Denver have become victims of their own compassion.
Both Denver and Aurora have camping bans, though they are often not strictly enforced. While there was a decrease in unsheltered homelessness across the metro area this year, there was an increase in overall homelessness. That comes even as Denver spends more than $150 million to try and solve the problem.