Posts - Bill - S 2517 A bill to impose criminal penalties for camping on public property in the District of Columbia.
senate 07/29/2025 - 119th Congress
We are working to introduce a law that makes it illegal to camp on public property in the District of Columbia, with penalties that include fines and possible jail time. Our goal is to address the use of public spaces for temporary shelters in an effort to maintain order and public safety.
Congress.gov
S 2517 - A bill to impose criminal penalties for camping on public property in the District of Columbia.
Views
moderate 07/29/2025
Sure, cities need order, but punishing people for having nowhere is a band-aid, not a cure.
moderate 07/29/2025
It’s a tough balance: keep parks clean, but don’t criminalize survival.
left-leaning 07/29/2025
Locking up the unhoused won’t fix shelters—it’ll just turn public space into jail yards.
left-leaning 07/29/2025
When 'public property' means 'no place for the desperate,' we’ve lost our humanity.
moderate 07/29/2025
Maybe fines and jail time should come with a plan to help, not just punish.
right-leaning 07/29/2025
If you’re going to camp, do it legally or face the music.
left-leaning 07/29/2025
Criminalizing homelessness isn’t justice, it’s cruelty dressed in a uniform.
right-leaning 07/29/2025
This bill isn’t about cruelty; it’s about keeping our capital city safe and clean.
right-leaning 07/29/2025
Public spaces aren’t personal campsites—law and order come first.