Overnight Camping
In response to new Oregon and federal laws that provide compassionate protections for people experiencing homelessness, the City of Wilsonville has established new local overnight camping guidelines. Ordinance 879 revises the City's overnight camping code as mandated by the State of Oregon. Resolution 3058 establishes administrative rules that define the time, place and manner restrictions to be implemented locally. Both were adopted by the City Council on May 15, 2023.
To review City Council work sessions and staff reports that led to the passage of these ordinaces, visit LetsTalkWilsonville.com.
Our Goal
The intention of the City of Wilsonville and the City Council is to accommodate overnight camping for survival and to assist in connecting individuals to Clackamas County service providers and local non-profits to provide transition services.
Basic Camping Guidelines
- Camping is not allowed in Wilsonville, except in the following designated locations:
- Vehicle camping: in designated spots at City Hall parking lot
(29799 SW Town Ctr. Loop E.) - Tent camping: in designated area across the street from City Hall parking lot
- Vehicle camping: in designated spots at City Hall parking lot
- Camping is only permitted at the locations designated above between 9 pm and 7 am.
Clackamas County Resources
In February 2023, Clackamas County officials presented to the City Council an overview of programs being developed to support housing initiatives and people experiencing homelessness. The County's participation in the national "Built for Zero" initiative is a step toward making houselessness rare, brief, and non-recurring by connecting people to service providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the City Council adopt new regulations regarding camping on City property?
In 2021, the State of Oregon passed House Bill (HB) 3115 and 3124, which impose new requirements on local governments to establish regulations that provide some compassionate protections for people experiencing homelessness. The City’s prior ban on camping was not compliant with these new laws and had to be updated. If the City did not adopt new regulations by July 1, 2023, the City could face a lawsuit for being out of compliance, even if it was not enforcing its camping ban. The City Council did NOT direct staff to establish a new policy regarding camping on public property. This project was a State-mandated undertaking by staff to bring City Code into compliance with new Oregon laws that prohibit cities from banning camping outright. Generally, new state laws and federal cases stipulate that individuals cannot be punished for sleeping outside on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives.
Where can I find the new regulations?
A link to Ordinance 879 and Resolution 3058 can be found at the top of this page.
When do the new regulations go into effect?
The City is enforcing new camping guidelines effective July 1, 2023.
What are the new regulations?
- Camping for survival will only be permitted from 9 pm until 7 am.
- Camping is permitted only in the following locations:
- Vehicle camping: western portion of the City Hall parking lot
- Non-vehicle camping: a portion of the vacant City property to the north of City Hall
Why did the City choose these sites?
More than 400 community members responded to a questionnaire on Let’s Talk, Wilsonville! in which they identified parks and trails, near schools, and in residential neighborhoods as the least desirable locations to allow camping; the most desirable area was City-owned property.
The City evaluated City parking lots and vacant City properties, few of which could accommodate any camping for survival to occur. For the sites that potentially could accommodate camping (Library parking lot, Community Center parking lot, and City Hall parking lot/vacant property the north), the City considered factors such as: proximity to schools, parks, and residences; enforcement capacity; visibility; access to service providers; and amount of space needed.
The City Council wanted to narrowly focus where camping would be allowed for unhoused residents, which led to the Council selecting the City Hall parking lot and property to the north as the best option of the City properties that could accommodate camping for survival.
What is the City doing to ensure that people are camping according to the new regulations?
The City has prepared informational materials for individuals experiencing homelessness, engaged in outreach to local non-profit service providers, placed signage in the designated areas for camping, and developed internal procedures to ensure that (a) people who must camp for survival know when and where they are allowed to camp, (b) the City works with providers to help people get the services they need, and (c) the City enforces the new regulations if people violate the regulations.
Can people camp at parks or next to my house?
The City regulations prohibit camping in City parks or next to residences. People may only camp for survival in one of the two designated areas stated above.
What should I do if I see someone who appears to be violating the new City camping regulations?
During normal City business hours (Mon-Fri, 8 am – 5 pm), call the City’s Code Compliance Coordinator at 503-570-1603. All other times, call the Wilsonville Police Department’s non-emergency dispatch at 503-655-8211.
What should I do if I see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis (no criminal activity apparent)?
Call the Clackamas County Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 503-655-8585.
