Bayonne, NJ Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Section 13-5d prohibits maintaining or inhabiting any structure, tent or other thing in a municipal park that could be used for housing or camping, prohibits building or keeping any cooking device, and bars modifying the park landscape to create a shelter or accumulating household furniture, appliances or construction debris there, all unless the Division of Recreation gives express written permission. This sits alongside paragraph e's separate ban on sleeping in a park overnight. Section 13-5f then builds a cleanup-and-diversion path into enforcement: a person cited under paragraph d or e is not in violation if the person has no other outstanding citation under this section and, within 30 hours of the citation, accepts Social Services from the City of Bayonne, Hudson County, another public entity or a private nonprofit agency.

The Code defines Social Services broadly as temporary or permanent housing, residential substance abuse treatment, Homeless Outreach services, or admission to a hospital or other residential facility for medical treatment, and defines an outstanding citation as one that is unpaid or under appeal. The Division of Recreation administers the written-permission exception and, together with the Police Department, enforces the underlying camping and shelter ban.