Aurora City Council is weighing whether to bring back a rule that would force the city to give at least 72 hours’ warning before police or city crews clear unauthorized homeless encampments. The resolution, introduced by newly elected councilmember Rob Andrews, passed out of the Housing, Neighborhood Services, and Redevelopment Policy Committee on Tuesday and now goes to the full council for a study session. Backers say the warning window gives people time to accept services or gather their belongings, while critics argue it would weaken enforcement.
Andrews’ proposal “states that city officials shall provide advance notice prior to abating an unauthorized camp,” and specifies that “advance notice shall be provided no fewer than 72 hours before the scheduled abatement.” The draft exempts abatements on Colorado Department of Transportation property and situations involving imminent public health or safety risks, and it allows postponement in cases of extreme adverse weather or other extraordinary circumstances. Committee members voted to move the item to the full council’s next study session, according to the Denver Gazette.
Council split over whether the change chips away at the camping ban
The committee debate laid bare a near-even split over how hard Aurora should lean into its camping ban. “We can give people the opportunity to leave if that’s what they want to do,” Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs said, adding that advance notice can help people decide whether to accept services at the navigation campus. Councilmember Angela Lawson called the resolution “just a slow repeal of the camping ban,” while Councilmember Stephanie Hancock warned that restoring the 72-hour requirement would “undermine Aurora’s ability to maintain safe neighborhoods,” as reported by the Denver Gazette.
How Aurora got here
Last year, the council scrapped the city’s earlier requirement to offer shelter options and provide 72 hours’ notice before clearing camps. Supporters of that move said it was needed to protect public safety, while opponents argued it stripped away basic protections for people living outside. The ordinance was part of a broader “tough love” approach to homelessness adopted in early 2025, which gave outreach teams more latitude to clear encampments without waiting for open shelter beds, as reported by Denver7. The change came on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reshaped how courts look at public-camping bans.
Where services fit
Aurora has been building out a Regional Navigation Campus at 15500 E. 40th Ave. to centralize shelter space, case management, and work-first programs. The city bought the former Crowne Plaza and selected Advance Inc. to run the facility. Officials have used the site for emergency sheltering and describe it as a one-stop hub to connect people with housing and care before any enforcement action, according to Sentinel Colorado.
Legal backdrop
In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that enforcing generally applicable public-camping bans does not automatically violate the Eighth Amendment. Municipalities across the country have cited that decision while rethinking rules around notice and shelter requirements. The Court’s opinion, which narrowed the Ninth Circuit’s approach, is detailed in the published decision on Justia.
The policy committee’s vote sends Andrews’ resolution to the full council’s study session for more scrutiny. Council members will get another shot at debating whether a formal warning period can strike a workable balance between humane treatment and neighborhood safety before any ordinance change lands on the books.
