HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse to Constituent Letter - Mail Packet - 01/07/2025 - Letter from Mayor Jeni Arndt to Affordable Housing Board re: City of Grants Pass v. Johnson – regulations regarding camping
Mayor
City Hall
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2154
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
January 2, 2025
Affordable Housing Board
c/o Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Staff Liaison
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Dear Chair Singleton and Board Members:
On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the memorandum dated December
21, 2024 regarding City of Grants Pass v. Johnson and regulations regarding camping.
We understand that the Board recommends updates to various sections of the municipal code to
remove language that results in criminalization or financial punishment for the act of public
camping.
Thank you for mentioning the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative and the AHB’s outreach sub-
committee’s offer to partner with the City to identify potential community partners. Our City
staff is copied on this letter to alert them to your offer.
Thank you for the expertise and perspectives that you bring to the Board and share with City
Council.
Best Regards,
Jeni Arndt
Mayor
/sek
cc: City Council Members
Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager
December 21st,2024
From:Affordable Housing Board (AHB)Chair John Singleton
To:City Council
Re:Criminalizing Homelessness -City of Grants Pass v.Johnson
The Affordable Housing Board (AHB)advises City Council on matters pertaining to affordable
housing issues of concern to the City.As such,and especially in light of the Supreme Court’s
recent City of Grants Pass v.Johnson decision,we advise that Council seriously consider
updates to the City’s regulations pertaining to camping,which ser ve to criminalize unsheltered
homelessness.
Though Fort Collins Police Ser vices does not currently arrest individuals or families for
camping,we advocate that this policy and the rights of our homeless neighbors be codified and
protected in the long term.The City’s existing camping ordinances are out of date,
discriminator y,and in need of revision,as the current language is so subjective as to make equal
enforcement impossible.
In particular,the Board recommends that Council:
●Update Section §17-181 of the municipal code which deems camping on public property
in the City of Fort Collins “unlawful.”We urge the City to remove any language that
results in criminalization or financial punishments for the act of public camping.The City
should adopt an approach to protecting public health and safety relating to public
camping that does not result in carceral or financial ramifications.The City’s current
public health and safety policies exist separately and can be enforced when necessar y;
however,we strongly believe that simply sleeping and existing in public space should not
result in punitive measures.Criminalizing or fining individuals for meeting their basic
sur vival needs only ser ves to exacerbate challenges to obtaining stable housing,which is
in direct conflict with the City’s 10-year plan to make homelessness rare,short-lived and
non-recurring.
●Truncate Section §17-182a of the municipal code to read “It is unlawful for any person
to camp or to knowingly permit any person to camp,as defined in §17-181,on private
property within the City,except on the premises of a residential dwelling with the
permission of the property owner.”,with no further qualifications.
●Section §17-182b deems sleeping in motor vehicles to be “unlawful.”We propose that
the city proactively work to institutionalize a safe and legal means for people to sleep in
their cars.Car camping offers a relatively safe form of shelter and stability that also frees
up bed capacity in an already insufficient overnight shelter system.The Colorado Safe
Parking Initiative,for example,is looking to par tner with local governments toward
achieving this goal.CSU has also recently formalized a program to provide safe overnight
car camping for university staff and students.Options for safe overnight vehicle-based
shelter are clearly much-needed in our community,yet unavailable.We encourage the
City to take proactive steps in institutionalizing,funding,and/or expanding such
programs to help fill the gap and meet this need for the entirety of the Fort Collins
community.The Affordable Housing Board’s outreach sub-committee would like to
make themselves available for partnership with the city in identifying potential
community partners for such initiatives.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
John Singleton,Chair
On behalf of the Affordable Housing Board