McKinney council adopts ‘Better Together’ initiative and two ordinances restricting public sleeping, camping

The McKinney City Council voted Oct. 21 to adopt a resolution backing the city’s Better Together homelessness initiative and approved two related ordinance amendments that restrict sleeping in downtown public spaces and camping in public areas and on certain city lots.

The council approved the resolution supporting the Better Together guiding principles, then passed an amendment to Chapter 70 to create a downtown-only “physical occupancy” prohibition and a separate amendment moving and expanding the city’s camping prohibition. The downtown physical-occupancy ordinance passed 6–1; the citywide camping ordinance, which adds prohibitions on sleeping in vehicles on city lots and rights of way and places limited responsibility on private property owners who knowingly allow camping, passed 5–2. Each ordinance includes an initial one‑year sunset clause so the council can review enforcement and outcomes.

Supporters of the Better Together initiative and members of the homeless-services community urged investment in caseworkers and coordinated outreach rather than criminal penalties. Lee Stark, the street outreach caseworker for the wellness center for older adults, told council that outreach since May 2023 had recorded 424 unique people encountered in McKinney and that two caseworkers had helped house 47 people; he and others advocated for adding five caseworkers under the Better Together plan. Stark said, “Think of what we will be able to do with the Better Together program with 5 caseworkers. I really think that…