Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Houston, TX (2026)
2 verified homelessness & encampment rules for Houston, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sit-Lie Rules
Houston Code Chapter 40 restricts obstructing sidewalks and public rights-of-way. Enforcement against unhoused residents constrained by Martin v. Boise and federal Eighth Amendment precedent on shelter availability.
Houston Sit-Lie Restrictions Chapter 40
Light RestrictionsTex. Penal Code § 42.03
Sec. 42.03. OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY. (a) A person commits an offense if, without legal privilege or authority, he intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:(1) obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, hallway, entrance, or exit to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access, or any other place used for the passage of persons, ...
Encampment Sanitation
Camping, tents, and unauthorized personal-property piles in any public place, parks, sidewalks, rights-of-way, are a misdemeanor citywide under Chapter 21, enforced only after a written warning and outreach-team contact.
Houston Public Encampment Ban (Code Chapter 21)
Heavy RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances §§ 21-61—21-62
Encampment means any one or more of the following: (a) The unauthorized use of fabric, metal, cardboard, or other materials as a tent or other temporary structure for living accommodation purposes or human habitation; or (b) The unauthorized use of a heating device; or (c) The unauthorized accumulation of personal property (other than durable medical equipment) that would not fit in a container...
Looking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Houston city rules.
Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Harris County →