Wichita City Council enacts stricter camping laws while providing pet care for the unhoused
Wichita: Recently, the city made some big moves that could really affect people without homes. They passed a new law about illegal camping and announced help for pets.
The new camping law lets the city clean up camps in certain areas right away. They can also do it with just 48 hours’ notice now, which is quicker than before. If someone is camping illegally, they’ll only get a ticket if there’s a shelter bed available.
Some folks on the council weren’t too happy about this. Council member Brandon Johnson pulled the item to express his concerns. He mentioned that many homeless people still refuse to go to shelters, even during bad weather.
People at the meeting shared their thoughts too. One man, Adam Greenleaf, talked about his bad experiences at the emergency shelter. He felt that the city needed to listen more to the unhoused community before pushing for stricter rules.
On the flip side, some council members believe the new law has support from the community. They even had a poll showing that a good number of people back the ordinance.
In addition to the camping law, the city is stepping up to help pets. Mayor Lily Wu and others noticed that many unhoused people don’t want to go to shelters because they can’t bring their pets. So, the city is allowing pets to stay at the Wichita Animal Shelter for a few days at no cost.
They’ll take care of the pets and even provide free spaying and vaccinations afterward. Some people raised concerns about how unhoused individuals would get their pets to the shelter, but the city assured them that help is available for transportation.
