The Athens-Clarke County Commission voted Oct. 8 to prohibit camping and sleeping in public spaces, including sidewalks, streets, areas beneath bridges and other rights of way. The changes take effect Jan. 6, 2027, and two commissioners voted against them. The ordinance covers activities that appear to use an area as living accommodation, including laying out bedding, storing personal belongings, setting fires for cooking, or using a tent or other shelter. It also bars activities that block people from entering or leaving public areas, including when the property is privately owned, unless the property owner has given prior written permission. A first violation will bring a warning rather than a citation. People who continue to violate the rules after repeated warnings may be cited, and their belongings could be confiscated depending on the circumstances. The revised ordinance also prohibits prowling, defined as being somewhere at a time or in a manner unusual for law-abiding people under circumstances that would reasonably cause concern or alarm. Listed examples include running away when law enforcement arrives, refusing to identify oneself and trying to conceal oneself or an object. Alongside the enforcement changes, county officials said they will direct $1 million toward developing temporary emergency housing. One of the police department’s behavioral co-responder units will also be based downtown in Athens.