NORTH CAROLINA — Governor Josh Stein has vetoed a bill intended to stymie homeless encampments from setting up in cities across the state.
House Bill 437 — titled “Drug-Free Zones/Unauthorized Public Camping” — passed through the North Carolina House in a 73-40 vote Tuesday, June 30. It bans camping on publicly owned properties, creates “drug-free homeless service zones” within a 100-foot radius surrounding homeless shelters or other service providers, and mandates municipalities dedicate land for up to a year for a homeless encampment if enough shelter beds aren’t available in a municipality. The governments also would have to fund and make available restrooms, water, and public safety personnel, with constituents able to litigate if their local government failed to comply.
Stein said the bill doesn’t really tackle underlying causes of homelessness, while also burdening local governments financially since no state funding is provided to help enact the provisions.
READ MORE: Public camping ban passes final vote in North Carolina House
“We all want people experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet and live in safe, affordable housing,” Stein said in a statement. “Yet, this poorly constructed bill makes that goal harder and creates another significant unfunded mandate for local governments.”
Some General Assembly members have shown a desire to override Stein’s veto, which needs three-fifths majority for success.
Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph, one of the bill’s co-sponsors wrote in a statement after the governor’s move on Wednesday:
“If Gov. Stein was serious about helping homeless people, he would have signed this legislation into law. His veto puts North Carolina at risk of missing out on critical federal funding that would help move people out of unsafe encampments and into stable housing and supportive services.”
Stein also took issue with the increased penalties the bill suggested if people were caught with drugs within the radius of treatment facilities and shelters. He accused lawmakers of having a fundamental misunderstanding of addiction rehabilitation.
“I have long called for funding to crack down on drug trafficking, invest in behavioral health, and expand affordable housing options — because homelessness and substance misuse are real problems that deserve real solutions, not this bill,” he said.
Read Port City Daily’s previous coverage of the bill’s passage here.
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