Ketchikan City Council Approves New Homeless Regulations

New laws limit where people can sit, lie, or camp within city limits, sparking concerns from community members.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The Ketchikan City Council has approved updates to its municipal laws that will restrict where people can sit, lie, or camp within city limits. While the council says the changes were made with safety in mind, several community members argued the new laws could negatively impact the city's unhoused population.

Why it matters

The new ordinances have raised concerns that they could criminalize homelessness and make it more difficult for unhoused individuals to access public spaces. The issue highlights the ongoing challenges Ketchikan faces in addressing homelessness, with some arguing the city needs to focus more on solutions rather than regulations.

The details

The new laws include prohibiting sitting or lying on public pedestrian ways between 5:30am and 10:30pm, as well as banning camping on city-owned property. The council says the changes are meant to address health, safety, and economic prosperity concerns, but critics argue they could target the city's vulnerable unhoused population.

  • The city council first discussed the ordinances at a meeting on February 5, 2026.
  • The council officially approved the three ordinances in separate votes on February 20, 2026.
  • The new laws will go into effect on February 24, 2026.

The players

Ketchikan City Council

The governing body of the city of Ketchikan, Alaska that approved the new municipal laws related to homelessness.

Ryan McHale

A community member who provided public testimony arguing that "enforcement without alternatives does not end homelessness".

Riley Gass

A Ketchikan City Council member who voted in favor of all three ordinances, saying they will give police additional resources to address trespassing in "extreme cases".

Jai Mahtani

A Ketchikan City Council member who voted in favor of all three ordinances, stating they are meant to address a small group of "bad actors" and that law enforcement is "very, very compassionate" when helping the unhoused.

Janalee Gage

A Ketchikan City Council member who voted against two of the three ordinances, citing concerns about wages not keeping up with the cost of living and the need for more affordable housing.

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What they’re saying

“At some point we have to ask, 'what outcome are we trying to achieve?'”

— Ryan McHale, Community Member (krbd.org)

“Enforcement without alternatives does not end homelessness.”

— Ryan McHale, Community Member (krbd.org)

“I think this is something the police would use discretion on, and only when people are refusing to clear the walkways for what they were designed for, which is for people to travel on. Not people to sprawl out across.”

— Riley Gass, Ketchikan City Council Member (krbd.org)

“This particular ordinance, all three of them, have been debated for about two years. It's not for the lack of compassion, it is not to support a particular community, but it is for the whole community, as a whole.”

— Jai Mahtani, Ketchikan City Council Member (krbd.org)

“Ordinance changes like these, they do run the risk of criminalizing the most vulnerable members of our society, and it will not address the root causes of the situation these people, these neighbors of ours, these community members of ours, find themselves in.”

— Jack Finnegan, Ketchikan City Council Member (krbd.org)

What’s next

The three approved ordinances will go into effect on February 24, 2026.

The takeaway

The Ketchikan City Council's new regulations on sitting, lying, and camping in public spaces highlight the ongoing challenges the city faces in addressing homelessness. While the council argues the changes are about public safety, critics worry the laws could criminalize the city's most vulnerable residents without providing adequate solutions or alternatives.