Canton, OH Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Section 540.03 bars occupying a Campsite inconsistent with Chapter 540 unless a formal declaration of the Mayor or Director of Public Safety authorizes it in an emergency, or Canton City Council passes a resolution exempting a specific special event, specifying exact dates and location and requiring the applicant to provide insurance and an indemnification agreement. Section 540.04 sets the removal procedure: at least 24 hours before removing homeless individuals from an established camping site, law enforcement must post written notice, in English and Spanish, at all entrances to the site that can reasonably be identified.

Once that 24-hour notice is posted, officers must inform the local agency that delivers social services to homeless individuals where the notice was posted, so outreach workers can visit the site to assess the need for shelter or other assistance before removal takes effect. Property left behind is governed by Section 540.05: items with no apparent utility or monetary value, items in unsanitary condition, or permanently abandoned items may be discarded or destroyed, while weapons, drug paraphernalia, and suspected stolen property or crime evidence are retained by the Police Department.

Everything else removed from a campsite that is not disposed of, destroyed, or held as evidence must be stored by the Police Department, or its designee, for a minimum of 30 days, during which it must be made reasonably available for release to a confirmed owner. The chapter derives from Ord. 171-2025, passed September 15, 2025, and Section 540.99 caps any resulting conviction at a $50 fine with mitigation credit for voluntary cleanup or service engagement.