Anchorage Assembly postpones vote on ordinance to prohibit camping after hours of testimony; vote set for July 15

The Anchorage Assembly closed a lengthy public hearing July 11 on AO 2025‑74 (S2), an ordinance that would amend Anchorage Municipal Code chapter 8.45 to prohibit camping on “protected premises” and to ban construction on public land with criminal penalties. After nearly five hours of testimony from residents, service providers, business owners and public‑safety advocates, the Assembly moved the item to its July 15 regular meeting by an 11–1 vote.

The public hearing drew sharply divided testimony. Supporters said the ordinance would protect parks, trails and commercial corridors from fire, theft and other crimes linked to some encampments. “This ordinance is a tool to keep our greenbelts, trails and schools safe for everyone,” said David Wigglesworth, a Midtown resident who urged limits around trails and waterways. Business owners and downtown property managers described repeated thefts, vandalism and confrontations near their properties and said the code would provide needed enforcement authority.

Opponents — including unhoused people, providers and civil‑liberties groups — warned that the ordinance would criminalize survival and make it harder to exit homelessness when shelter capacity and treatment resources are already constrained. Elizabeth Matthews, senior director of housing at Covenant House Alaska, told the Assembly:…