Birmingham Considers Rules for Clearing Homeless Encampments

City Council reviews proposal to allow 48-hour notice before removing people living on public property.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 9:09pm

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The Birmingham City Council is considering adopting a policy that would set rules for clearing out homeless encampments on public property. The proposed ordinance would allow the city to give 48 hours written notice to people living on public spaces before they are removed, with quicker action in priority or emergency situations.

Why it matters

Homelessness remains an ongoing issue in Birmingham, with around 500 people experiencing homelessness on the streets each night. The city is looking to balance addressing public safety and infrastructure concerns with providing resources and housing options for the unhoused population.

The details

Under the proposal, people found living on public lands would be given 48 hours written notice to leave, with access to housing and other resources provided. The city could also act more quickly in certain priority situations, such as events scheduled at a city park or encampments near critical infrastructure or with drug paraphernalia present. The ordinance aims to avoid criminalizing homelessness while still allowing the city to address public safety and cleanliness concerns.

  • The proposed ordinance will return to the committee of the whole in April or May 2026.

The players

Alanah L. Melton

Director of unhoused strategies for the city of Birmingham.

Joseph J. Basgier

Chief Prosecutor for the city of Birmingham.

Wardine Alexander

President of the Birmingham City Council.

Brian Gunn

Member of the Birmingham City Council.

Hunter Williams

Member of the Birmingham City Council.

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What they’re saying

“We must ensure that our unhoused are directed to the appropriate resources and the appropriate housing options for them. Our public infrastructure is just not appropriate housing, thus this public camping ordinance is born.”

— Alanah L. Melton, Director of unhoused strategies (birminghamwatch.org)

“If we're dealing with a truly abandoned property where we have, for example, an out-of-state owner or an unidentified owner, that may be something where we would have to ... maybe look at some litigation to remove them. That's not going to be a fast process, unfortunately. This public camping ordinance does allow us to move a little more quickly because it's on public property.”

— Joseph J. Basgier, Chief Prosecutor (birminghamwatch.org)

“It's not only when it's cold. Sometimes they're just setting fires. We've had several buildings in the city burned down; one the other day. That is likely because a person set fire to it.”

— Hunter Williams, City Council Member (birminghamwatch.org)

What’s next

The proposed ordinance will return to the Birmingham City Council's Committee of the Whole in April or May 2026 for further consideration.

The takeaway

Birmingham is seeking to balance compassion for the unhoused with addressing public safety and infrastructure concerns through a proposed ordinance that would allow the city to clear encampments on public property while still connecting individuals with housing and other resources.