AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on urban camping bans “clears the way” for Aurora’s new “tough love” approach to addressing homelessness , Mayor Mike Coffman said.
“I think it was the right decision,” Coffman said. “I also do think that communities ought to do what the city of Aurora does and that is have a place for people to go.”
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On Monday, Aurora enacted a camping ban that is more strict than its previous one. It will go into effect in about a month.
“We’re going to have a much tougher policy when it comes to illegal camping on the I-225 corridor. For the first time, people will be ticketed for trespass,” Coffman said.
Aurora to enforce ‘closed to camping’ zones
Within “closed to camping” zones, authorities may remove people and tents without prior notice. Outside of those zones, people can avoid being issued a ticket if they leave the camp within 72 hours.
“We call it ‘tough love,’ that we are in fact putting penalties in place for illegal camping that we haven’t had before,” Coffman said.