Photo: Eze Amos
Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis will ask City Council on Tuesday to adopt a resolution that would ban people from sleeping and storing their possessions on public property.
“Over the past several months, the city has seen a marked increase in quality-of-life complaints in and around locations where unhoused community members are residing,” reads the staff report for the September 2 meeting. “While these concerns must be addressed, the enforcement of this ordinance is intended to be carried out with care and understanding, recognizing the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Kochis said in a statement that he would not respond to media requests until after the presentation is made to council.
The request comes at the same time that the federal government has signaled a desire to lock people up if they do not have a place to live. On July 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets executive order, which seeks to treat homelessness as a public safety threat rather than a public health problem.
“Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order,” reads section one of the order.
Section three directs federal agencies to prioritize grant funding for municipalities that enforce prohibitions on urban camping. Section five seeks to end support for “housing first” policies such as those championed by organizations that seek to help people find and keep a home.
Under Charlottesville’s ordinance, a violation would be a Class 4 misdemeanor with no jail time.
“This reflects Council’s direction that enforcement should not be punitive but should encourage safe and lawful use of public spaces,” the staff report continues.
Available for public review is city staff’s protocol for dealing with unhoused encampments that defines “immediate hazard” as “a site posing urgent danger to life or health,” and “public health crisis” as “unsafe living conditions that risk spreading disease or harming health.”
Under the protocol, any suspected encampment is to be reported to Ashley Marshall, Charlottesville’s deputy city manager for social equity. Trained city staff will inspect the encampment, possibly with assistance from personnel from area nonprofits. Law enforcement can attend the inspection if safety is deemed to be a factor.
There would be no advance notice for the removal of anything deemed an immediate hazard, and any personal property would be removed and stored for up to 60 days. Priority will be given to sites where criminal activity is believed to take place, where there have been complaints, and where environmental damage may be occurring.
Sites not deemed to be an immediate hazard would have 10 business days before removal.
Charlottesville’s budget for the current fiscal year includes a $500,000 placeholder for operation of a low-barrier shelter, but no location has been publicly disclosed. The city is also paying the Salvation Army $250,000 a year for lost revenue if its thrift store on Cherry Avenue becomes the home of that shelter.
This year’s budget also includes the first annual payment of $250,000 to the Blue Ridge Coalition for the Homeless for their operations.
