Hampton Council Delays Action on Public Camping Ordinance
Mix of residents, businesses, social service providers, and individuals with lived experience will conduct stakeholder review

The Hampton City Council has again delayed action on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit camping and storage on public property, opting to give a newly formed stakeholder group more time to meet and make recommendations.
The ordinance, first introduced in May and considered in June, would make it unlawful to camp, sleep, or store belongings on public property, with certain exceptions for authorized uses. Violations could carry a Class 1 misdemeanor penalty, though City Manager Mary Bunting emphasized that fines or jail time were never intended for people experiencing homelessness.
“The goal was never to criminalize homelessness,” Bunting told council members during the Aug. 13 work session. “We are trying to approach this from a very humane, empathetic, community-caring perspective—because that’s who Hampton is.”
Council deferred action on the ordinance in June to convene a diverse stakeholder group including residents, business owners, service providers, government officials, and people with lived experience of homelessness. The group’s purpose is to explore solutions that balance community norms with compassion for vulnerable individuals.
Bunting said the group’s formation took longer than expected, as the city worked to ensure equal representation from neighborhoods and business districts that had originally raised concerns, as well as advocates and service providers. The delay means the measure, originally deferred to Sept. 24, will be postponed by at least another 60 to 90 days.
The stakeholder process will include activities designed to build empathy and generate ideas, such as anonymous sharing of personal experiences, collaborative brainstorming, and evaluating solutions based on impact and feasibility.
Bunting noted that some residents and businesses have raised concerns about public behaviors—such as urination, drug use, and other activities—occurring near homes or commercial areas. At the same time, some individuals experiencing homelessness have declined services offered by outreach teams, leading to tensions between community expectations and personal choice.
“We want to treat the homeless humanely and be sensitive to what they’re going through, but we also have to uphold certain norms so neighborhoods and businesses can thrive,” Bunting said.
Council will set a new date for reconsidering the ordinance once the stakeholder group completes its work.
A Hampton Daily Contributor used AI tools and these sources: