Gastonia, NC Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Article IX of Chapter 7, adopted in 2012, declares camping on city property unlawful under Sec. 7-201 unless expressly permitted in writing by the city manager or a designee. The ban covers tents, temporary shelters, and camping gear regardless of whether they're occupied or contain bedding, and separately bans lighting a campfire or bonfire on city property without a written permit. 'Camp' is defined broadly in Sec. 7-200 to include sleeping, preparing to sleep, laying down bedding, storing personal belongings, or placing a tent or temporary shelter for living-accommodation purposes, and 'city property' expressly includes public rights-of-way and sidewalks, not just parks.

Enforcement runs through Sec. 7-202: any prohibited camping activity is declared a public nuisance, and any sworn law enforcement officer or authorized city employee can direct a person to cease camping and remove gear or belongings, and may summarily remove any tent, shelter, bedding, or personal belongings from city property. The same authority applies to extinguishing an unauthorized campfire. This is the city's operative encampment-clearing tool: it authorizes on-the-spot removal of both people's camping setups and any burning material without a separate court order.