List of homeless encampment sweeps in the United States

In response to the impact of homelessness in their communities, municipal governments in the United States regularly conduct sweeps of tent encampments, forcibly dispersing people from public or private land where they are camping without authorization. This is a list of tent encampment sweeps in the United States.

Alabama
In October 2022, Mobile cleared an encampment near I-65 to allow for a bridge inspection. In November 2022 police cleared two encampments under highway overpasses in Montgomery.

Alaska
In September 2017, Juneau police cleared a downtown encampment.

In April 2020, the Anchorage Assembly passed a resolution to more aggressively clear the city's homeless encampments. The city began sweeping encampments along Chester Creek and downtown that month. In June 2022, Anchorage cleared an encampment of 25 to 50 people in Davis Park, in the Mountain View neighborhood. In October 2023, Anchorage cleared its largest encampment. That winter, a record 51 people died on the city streets.

In 2024, Anchorage police cleared an encampment on Second Avenue.

Arizona
The city of Phoenix swept more than 3,000 encampments in 2022, and 1,200 in 2019. Police swept an encampment of 700 to 900 people in November 2023. 500 people were placed in shelter beds and motels.

In May 2024, Tucson began clearing encampments in the 100 Acre Wood, beginning with a spot selected by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for PFAS testing.

Arkansas
In September 2018, the University of Arkansas cleared a 60-acre lot of land it owned, forcing around 100 people to disperse. In 2020, the university cleared another encampment along its bike path in south Fayetteville.

In November 2022, the Arkansas Department of Transportation removed encampments in Little Rock near highways and interstates. In March 2023, the DOT removed another Little Rock encampment with bulldozers.

California
In December 2014, San Jose police evicted 60 people who remained at an encampment on Story Road that originally housed between 200 and 300 people. 114 people were placed in housing, and others were given temporary housing arrangements. The encampment cleanup cost the city and the Santa Clara Valley Water District between $400,000 and $500,000.

Police cleared hundreds of encampments from Seventeenth Street in the East Village of San Diego in 2017.

In 2017, laborers and police cleared out the "Promise Land" encampment beneath a highway overpass in Oakland.

In 2017, San Francisco police responded to nearly 100,000 resident complaints regarding "homeless concerns." In 2020, mayor London Breed personally directed the police chief "to clear specific people in her line of sight."

In 2021, Los Angeles relocated 200 people from encampments on Venice Beach. The Los Angeles Sanitation Department responded to 4,000 requests a month regarding encampments at the end of 2022.

The city of Fresno swept an encampment of around 25 people in April 2022.

In July 2023, the city of Antioch announced a five-year, $2.3 million on-call encampment removal contract with a ServiceMaster franchise. In April 2024 more than 100 people living in 70 vehicles were removed from Wilbur Avenue.

In November 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom announced an allocation of $300 million by the state of California to clear encampments near highways. Between July 2021 and November 2023, the state of California cleared 5,679 encampments.

In July 2023, the city of San Diego enacted a ban on camping "within two blocks of schools and shelters, in parks and along waterways." The city saw a 45% decline in the presence of unhoused people downtown, with more than 1,200 people removed from the area. In June 2024 San Diego County was sued for the improper removal of people's personal belongings and valuables during encampment sweeps.

Colorado
In 2020 the city of Denver cleared an encampment of about 300 people on a vacant lot of land next to the Cross Roads Shelter in the River North Arts District. Four people were arrested.

Denver spent nearly $600,000 to clear 230 large encampments in 2021 and 2022.

Connecticut
In 2015, Norwalk police cleared an encampment of about a dozen people under the Stroffolino Bridge.

In 2020, Waterford police swept a decades-old encampment by the Boston Post Road.

In November 2022, Bridgeport evicted an encampment under I-95. Eight people from the encampment accepted shelter at a nearby YMCA.

Between March and October 2023, Hartford recorded 29 encampment complaints and disbanded 12 sites.

In March 2023, New Haven police and homeless services cleared an encampment along the West River by Ella T. Grasso Boulevard. Originally home to around a dozen people, it dwindled to four before being swept on 16 March. A local homeowner refused to leave the encampment in protest of the city's treatment of its residents, and was arrested. In June 2024, housing activists set up a tent encampment on the New Haven Green to "protest against past clearings of homeless encampments, and in support of the rights of the unhoused."

Delaware
In 2014, Delaware state police swept an encampment south of Lewes. After police dispersed the residents, their belongings were cleared out by penal laborers. Later that year, police cleared an encampment in Christiana that had timber shelters and electricity.

In January 2023, around 50 residents of a Milford encampment on a lot off Route 113 were evicted when the lot was sold to a new owner with plans to develop it.

Florida
On 16 May 2024, Gainesville police and municipal workers cleared a tent encampment around Southeast Fourth Place in downtown Gainesville. The city used excavators to remove people's belongings.

Georgia
In February 2022, an encampment in front of Atlanta City Hall disbanded voluntarily after the city agreed to house the camp's residents in motels for a month. In November 2022, Atlanta police and the Georgia Department of Transportation began clearing a site with heavy machinery near I-85 and Cheshire Bridge off Bufford Highway where around 100 people had camped. Around 25 of the displaced people were given shelter at a local motel. APD began an operation to sweep encampments underneath the city's bridges in February 2024. half a dozen people were told to pack three bags and leave as their encampment was disbanded.

Hawaii
Honolulu police regularly sweep encampments. Between April and May 2020, police performed 23 sweeps.

Idaho
Police and incarcerated workers with the Sheriff's Labor Detail in Boise cleared an encampment behind the city's Interfaith Sanctuary.

Illinois
Chicago police cleared a West Loop encampment in December 2023.

Indiana
In May 2024, Bloomington and Monroe County police cleared three encampments near Switchyard Park.

Iowa
The city of Des Moines swept more than 70 encampments between January and June 2024.

Kansas
In June 2024, Topeka swept an encampment along the Kansas River.

Kentucky
Louisville police apologized after clearing an encampment, displacing seven people and destroying their belongings without warning on 19 February 2021. 22 people originally lived at the encampment. Campers and advocates were told that the encampment would not be cleared until February 26.

Louisiana
In February 2024, New Orleans cleared more than 70 people from an encampment under the bridge at Orleans and Claiborne streets.

Maine
State and city workers cleared a large encampment in Portland using bulldozers in November 2023.

In June 2024 the city of Sanford, Maine swept a homeless encampment between the Mousam river and an abandoned mill building, displacing 40 people.

Maryland
Baltimore city and county police cleared an encampment near the city line in August 2023.

Massachusetts
In January 2024 Worcester police arrested three people for refusing to disperse from an encampment erected in the parking lot of the town's temporary emergency shelter.

Michigan
In October 2021 Kalamazoo police cleared an encampment on the Kalamazoo River that had housed up to 160 people in the preceding two years. Police removed 11 vehicles, including RVs.

In December 2023, Lansing police used bulldozers to clear an encampment under the Kalamazoo Street Bridge.

Minnesota
In October 2020, police cleared an encampment of 34 people at Point of Rocks in Duluth.

In 2021, an encampment north of downtown Minneapolis resisted an attempted sweep by police. Video showed police using pepper spray as they arrested five people resisting the eviction. After three houses caught fire in July 2022, the Minneapolis Police Department cleared a nearby encampment. In September 2022 the clearance of an encampment on East 28th Street and Bloomington Avenue sparked protests and complaints. MPD arrested two people for obstructing the clearing an encampment in the Near North neighborhood in October 2022. In December, the city cleared another longstanding encampment near the Quarry shopping center. Minneapolis removed more than 383 people from 44 encampments through November 2023.

Mississippi
Police in Jackson swept an encampment on Jefferson Street in June 2024.

Missouri
In 2022, Missouri passed a law which bans camping on public land and prohibits the state from allocating state or federal funds towards permanent housing. In December 2023, the law was struck down for violating the state constitution's single subject clause.

In St. Louis, an encampment near City Hall was cleared after police shot and killed a man nearby.

Montana
The city of Missoula allowed people to camp at an approved campsite for 10 months in 2022, but later disbanded the encampment. In 2024, Missoula passed a citywide camping ban "during the daytime hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and to prohibit it during all hours in most parks and conservation land, as well as within certain distances of homes, businesses, schools, shelters and waterways."

Nebraska
In May 2023, police cleared an encampment on a vacant lot in South Omaha.

Nevada
Reno police aggressively cleared an encampment near Wells Avenue in June 2020. After media were ordered to leave the scene, Officer Ryan Gott kicked people out of their tents and trashed their belongings without warning.

The city of Las Vegas swept 2,500 encampments through September 2023, up from 1,600 in 2021.

New Hampshire
In January 2024, Rochester cleared an encampment on the grounds of the First Church Congregational.

New Jersey
An encampment of 20 to 25 people in South Camden was cleared in February 2023.

New Mexico
In September 2021, the city of Albuquerque swept an encampment of 15 to 20 people, throwing away their IDs and personal belongings in violation of the terms of the city's 2017 settlement in McClendon v. Albuquerque. The area around Wells Park was fenced off and restricted to use by a community group. In February 2022, the city swept an encampment of around a dozen people near Eubank and Interstate 40 a day earlier than announced. Later that year, the city closed Coronado Park, where more than 125 people had been camping. In September 2022, a law preventing the city from permitting encampments in its zoning code was vetoed by Mayor Tim Keller. Albuquerque has been criticized for its practice of routinely destroying encamped people's belongings during sweeps, which advocates say has prolonged their homelessness by disconnecting them from public records and services. Albuquerque police swept over 1,000 encampments in January 2024.

New York
New York City doubled its encampment sweeps in 2020, despite CDC advice to "allow people who are living unsheltered or in encampments to remain where they are." if shelter beds were not available for them. The city performed 1077 sweeps from March to December 2020, compared to 543 in the same period in 2019.

In 2022, Eric Adams gave control over encampment sweeps back to the NYPD, after they were sidelined following the George Floyd protests. In March 2022, Adams gave orders to dismantle every encampment in the city.

The NYPD made 18 arrests between March and May. On 6 April 2022 police arrested a group of homeless advocates in the East Village who blocked a homeless encampment from being dispersed for several hours. In May, eight protestors were arrested during a sweep of the "Anarchy Row" encampment near Tompkins Square Park. This encampment resisted dispersal more than most others, and gained a reputation for resilience after it was reassembled following repeated sweeps. More than 2,300 people were removed from encampments from March to November in 2022. 199 accepted temporary shelter. Of those, 90 stayed in a shelter for more than one day. As of December 2023, 47 of them remained in shelters and three had found permanent housing.

City officials in Utica cleared an encampment inside the historic Kempf building in June 2024.

North Carolina
In October 2023, Wilmington police swept an encampment of about 30 people on North Kerr Avenue. Police did not attempt to connect the campers with social services.

In April 2024 Raleigh Police cleared an encampment of about 40 people at the intersection of Route 401 and Route 70, drawing protests from concerned residents.

North Dakota
In June 2023, Fargo police swept an encampment along the Red River at least twice at the request of the Fargo Park District.

Ohio
In August 2018, Cincinnati cleared a downtown encampment on Third Street. The city later settled a lawsuit over the sweeps for $83,000 and reformed its policies

Oklahoma
In March 2024, Tulsa police cleared an encampment of around 35 people behind Lowe's at 71st street.

Oregon
In 2018 Debra Blake, a homeless woman, was banned from every park in Grants Pass, Oregon and fined over $5,000. She sued the city for violating her constitutional rights and her case, which initially led to an injunction against sweeps without an available shelter bed, was overturned by the Supreme Court in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. Blake died before the injunction went into effect.

Portland cleared 5,000 encampments since November 2022, averaging a rate of 19 per day at the end of 2023. Crews found the bodies of overdose victims inside their tents. In August 2023, Portland police swept a large youth encampment. In January 2024, Portland cleared the largest of its remaining encampments on the edge of Harbor View Memorial Park. 70 tents were taken down, and 17 people accepted a bed in a shelter. More than 50 protestors formed a human chain as the encampment was being cleared.

Pennsylvania
In May 2021 Philadelphia police cleared an encampment at the 12th and Locust PATCO station, where people had been living since December 2020. 42 out of roughly 75 encampment residents accepted housing and treatment services.

In November 2023 police cleared an encampment of eight to ten people in downtown Pittsburgh.

In February and March 2024, police cleared encampments from the Philadelphia International Airport.

An "elaborate" encampment with couches and other furniture beneath an underpass was cleared by the city of Harrisburg in March 2024.

On 8 May 2024, police and municipal workers cleared a tent encampment along several blocks in Kensington.

Rhode Island
Providence dismantled two of its largest encampments in May 2024, displacing around 70 people.

South Carolina
Early in 2024, Charleston police swept a large encampment near Savannah Highway. In April 2024, police and community members in the West Ashley neighborhood called for volunteers to assist with the cleanup of vacated encampments.

South Dakota
In October 2020, Rapid City police disbanded an encampment set up by local residents to feed the homeless.

Tennessee
In September 2020, more than 50 people were displaced when Chattanooga police disbanded a decades-old encampment.

Texas
In June 2021, Austin police cleared several encampments around City Hall, arresting seven people.

In December 2023, police in Port Arthur cleared an encampment along 46th Street and Twin City Highway.

Utah
The Salt Lake City Health Department cleared encampments in the Rio Grande area in December 2020, displacing dozens of people.

Vermont
In 2021, police in Hartford swept several cabins built illegally on private land by a former town selectman and a group of homeless advocates.

Police swept an encampment at Sears Lane in Burlington twice in 2021, reducing its population from around 30 to six from October to December. Two encampment residents and one protestor were arrested in December, when the encampment was cleared and the site fenced off.

Virginia
In March 2024, Fairfax County police cleared an encampment of between 20 and 35 people, opening a temporary shelter to house some of them.

Washington
In 2022, Jay Inslee launched a statewide initiative to sweep encampments. 30 encampments along state highways were closed, with more than 1,000 residents of the camps moving into housing by December 2023. As of May 2024, out of 1,709 people living in Washington encampments, 1,138 accepted housing from the state. 845 remain in emergency shelter, while 192 have transitioned to permanent housing.

In August 2023, Centralia cleared an encampment at Blakeside railroad junction after the property was sold to Rainer Rail by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Seattle
The Greg Nickels mayoral administration in Seattle regularly cleared encampments. Beginning in 2008, a series of encampments cleared under Nickels became known collectively as Nickelsville, being disbanded and reformed about 20 times. 22 people were arrested in 2008 during a sweep of Nickelsville at West Marginal Way Southwest and Highland Park Way Southwest. 200 people were displaced, and 14 accepted shelter offered by the city. Under Ed Murray, the Nickelsville encampment became semi-formal and was sanctioned by a 2015 city ordinance along with two other encampments.

A tent encampment adjacent to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone which had resisted several attempted sweeps since the CHAZ's disbandment was raided by Seattle police on 18 December 2020. Police made 24 arrests and dispersed around 50 people.

In March 2024, police swept an encampment near Aki Kurose middle school in south Seattle.

Spokane
In Spokane, a formerly homeless local activist, Alfredo LLamedo, began a hunger strike in protest of the city's controversial sit-lie ordinance in November 2018. Several homeless protestors joined LLamedo in forming an encampment outside of Spokane City Hall. After eight days on hunger strike, the city agreed to suspend enforcement of its sit-lie ordinance until it made shelter beds available. Protestors declared their intention to remain encamped outside of city hall after LLamedo's strike ended and the city threatened to sweep the encampment. Demonstrators, including Councilwoman Kate Burke, chained themselves together to block removal of the encampment by police. The encampment, named "Camp Hope" by protestors, remained in front of City Hall until 9 December, when it was cleared by police and Llamedo and another local activist were arrested while helping others move their belongings.

A second protest encampment, named after the original Camp Hope was assembled outside Spokane City Hall in December 2021. Police threatened to clear the encampment and it was disbanded, then re-established at an empty, WSDOT-owned lot near I-90 and Thor Street. The encampment's population increased to 300 people by April 2022, and reached its peak of 600 people that July. In September, the city opened the Trent Shelter and began escalating its law enforcement response to homelessness downtown while threatening to clear Camp Hope by October. In October, the city sued to obtain permission to clear the encampment but residents and service providers sued successfully to block a sweep before the end of the year. In December 2022, the Catalyst Project was opened, providing temporary shelter for another 100 Camp Hope residents. The city sued the county again in March 2023 to force the state to negotiate a closure plan. An agreement was reached in May to close the camp by June 30. The last residents of Camp Hope were removed by June 9.

Washington, DC
In February 2023 the National Park Service cleared an encampment of about 70 people three blocks from the White House.

On 16 May 2024 The National Park Service and DC police cleared out six encampments in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, displacing 70 people.

West Virginia
The city of Wheeling cleared five encampments housing 10 to 30 people in October 2024 after passing a ban on camping within city limits.

Wisconsin
In March 2024, La Crosse police disbanded an encampment of more than 80 people near ongoing construction in the River Point District development.

Wyoming
Cheyenne police arrested five people at an encampment in Crow Creek after passing a camping ban ordinance in August 2023.