Hampton council defers camping and storage ordinance after hours of public comment; staff to convene stakeholders

Hampton City Council on Tuesday voted to defer final action on ordinance 25-0170, which would have prohibited camping, sleeping, or storing personal belongings on city-owned public property. Councilman Bergman moved the deferral; the roll call was unanimous: Councilman Bowman, Vice Mayor Brown, Councilwoman Campbell, Councilwoman Farrabee, Councilwoman Harper, Councilwoman Mugler and Mayor Gray all voted aye.

The ordinance drew more than two hours of public comment from service providers, academics, faith leaders and residents who urged the council to focus on housing and shelter capacity rather than criminal sanctions. Dozens of speakers asked the city to expand year-round shelter options and to coordinate services before adopting legally enforceable penalties.

Why it matters: The proposal, supporters said, was intended to give officers authority to require people who are camping on public property to move when their presence creates public-health or safety hazards. Opponents said the city lacks sufficient shelter and housing alternatives and that penalties would punish people for lacking housing rather than addressing root causes.

City Manager Michael Bunting said the council had begun work on the ordinance to provide a tool for responding to nuisance and unsafe behaviors on public property but that the intention was not to criminalize homelessness. "I wanted to share with you the thinking. This was never ever about criminalizing," Bunting said. He told the council staff will assemble a small focus group representing neighborhoods, businesses, service providers and people with lived experience to craft alternatives and come back to council in August.

Public commenters cited local data and national research. Dr. John Finn, professor of urban geography at Christopher Newport University, said: "This is not only inhumane. It's just bad public policy." Resident and former unhoused speaker Cassandra Austin Townsley told the council: "This ordinance will not solve homelessness. It will only punish people for being poor." Community advocate Erin Weaver said: "This is policy theater that punishes suffering instead of solving problems." Many speakers urged expansion of HELP (Hampton Ecumenical Lodgings and Provisions) and other local day- and emergency-shelter services.

Speakers raised specific operational concerns: insufficient year-round shelter capacity, limited shelter access outside winter months, barriers created by fines or criminal records, and uneven availability of services for single adults versus families and veterans. Several nonprofit and faith-based providers asked the city to invest in permanent local facilities rather than relying on regional solutions alone.

The city manager also clarified a citizen's Freedom of Information Act request about recent federal and CARES Act funds: "We did get a $4,600,000 congressionally directed grant from Congressman Bobby Scott's office" intended for operating five resource centers and hot spots, he said, and that roughly $4 million the speaker referenced was part of a previously set-aside CARES allocation. Bunting noted conditions on some funds and said staff will provide the line-item information requested.

Next steps: Council gave staff 60 days to convene stakeholders and return with recommended changes or a new draft ordinance. The mayor and city manager encouraged residents and organizations who want to participate to contact the city manager's office via 311 or mbunting@hampton.gov.

Ending: Council members and the city manager thanked speakers for their testimony and emphasized the council's intent to find compassionate, practical solutions. The deferral means the council will not vote on 25-0170 at this meeting; public comment sign-ups on the topic remain open for future meetings.