BOZEMAN — The Bozeman City Commission will be voting on an ordinance Tuesday night that would require urban campers to move every five days. The HRDC has four recommendations that it says will benefit everyone.
“In all reality, none of us want members of the community being forced to live in campers on the side of the street,” said CEO of the HRDC, Heather Grenier. “So, it’s in everyone’s best interest to come together and find a solution.”
The ordinance, being voted on Sept. 19, would not only force urban campers to move every five days, but they will also not be allowed to camp near any residence, park, school, daycare, on a bike lane or sidewalk, or within 100 feet of a business entrance.
Grenier says that if the ordinance passes, the new restrictions won’t fix the problem at all.
“The ordinance really is just one piece. It’s kind of a stopgap.” she said.
The HRDC is hoping the city will instead focus on allowing compliant vehicles to stay, creating zones with dumpsters and porta-potties, checking for vehicle mobility, and investing in stable housing.
Grenier says she knows there’s a lot of pressure on the City of Bozeman to do something about urban camping and what’s being allowed, but she believes the ordinance is not a long-term solution.
“There’s no way to guarantee that other urban campers won’t come to the area, or that other people will be forced out of their own homes and into an urban camping situation,” Grenier said.
The Bozeman City Commission meeting begins Tuesday night at City Hall at 6 p.m. MTN News will provide full coverage, on-air and online.
