Ankeny, IA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Ankeny Code of Ordinances § 49.01 makes it unlawful to camp, occupy a campsite or use camp paraphernalia in any park, any publicly-owned property not ordinarily open to the public (buildings, water towers, well sites, stormwater ponds), the portion of a street or sidewalk reserved for travel, unreserved street right-of-way, and any other public parking lot or property, unless authorized in a City campground, by City rule, by a special-event permit, or by mayoral emergency declaration. Section 49.02 imposes the identical five-category ban on storing personal property, including a campsite or camp paraphernalia, in the same public places.

Both sections carve out one exception: Ankeny Police officers will not enforce the right-of-way prohibition on a given night if there is no Available Overnight Shelter, defined as a free public or private shelter bed in Polk County open to that person, accounting for sex, familial status, religious beliefs, disability, length-of-stay limits, and whether the person was turned away after queuing before opening. A bed still counts as available if the person could not use it due to voluntary intoxication, drug use, or unruly conduct.

Section 49.03 sets the penalty as a simple misdemeanor treated as trespass, with imprisonment specifically excluded, and requires the court to inquire into ability to pay before any fine, authorizing community service instead. Before issuing any citation, § 49.04 requires the investigating officer to ask whether the camping or storage stems from homelessness and, if so, to check for Available Overnight Shelter under department policy before deciding whether to cite.