In response to reporting by The Acadiana Advocate that Lafayette was considering an ordinance that would make it illegal to squat or camp on public property, City Councilman and Council Chair Kenneth Boudreaux on Tuesday afternoon released a statement that no such ordinance had been filed at this point.
“While there has been public conversation and media reporting suggesting that an ordinance may be forthcoming, I want to be clear with our community: no such ordinance has been filed through the City Council’s official legislative process,” said Councilman Boudreaux. “Until an item is formally submitted to the Clerk of the Council, it is not before the Council for consideration.”
On April 2, The Acadiana Advocate reported that the City Council was considering an ordinance that would make camping or squatting on public property illegal and punishable by a $500 fine, and/or up to 30 days in jail, with a verbal warning required prior. Councilman Andy Naquin confirmed the existence of the draft ordinance to The Advocate in an email at the time, saying it would “address camping in/on public spaces.”
Naquin told the newspaper that the ordinance was still being reviewed and redrafted, and that there was “no ordinance moving forward regarding making sleeping in public illegal.“…