New Orleans, LA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Under Sec. 82-695, once the Department of Health is notified of an encampment on public property it must inspect the location within two business days, then prioritize remediation using factors in Sec. 82-695(c): objective hazards like moving vehicles, criminal activity beyond substance abuse, quantities of garbage or debris, active health hazards, difficulty extending emergency services, imminent scheduled work, environmental damage, and proximity to schools or elder-care facilities. Before removing personal property, Sec. 82-696 requires notice posted at least 24 hours before remediation, printed in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, stating the posting date, the removal date/time range, where and when property can be retrieved, that no identification is required to reclaim it (except controlled prescription medication), and outreach-provider contact information; oral notice must also be given to anyone present if reasonably possible.

Sec. 82-697 lets crews segregate and store unattended personal property while immediately disposing of garbage, debris, hazardous items and abandoned property. A written post-remediation notice must then be posted for at least three days under Sec. 82-698. Sec. 82-700 allows the city to skip the 24-hour notice and remove encampments immediately under its emergency police powers when they constitute obstructions or immediate hazards as defined in Sec. 82-694, including sites on highway shoulders, on/off-ramps, or areas reachable only by crossing driving lanes outside legal crosswalks.

Sec. 82-701 requires the department to store recovered personal property for at least 30 days at a location reasonably accessible by public transit, and Sec. 82-702 lets owners reclaim it by describing it with particularity, again without ID unless it is controlled prescription medication. Areas the city has already remediated can be designated 'routine remediation areas' under Sec. 82-699, marked with permanent signage giving a weekly remediation schedule so individual 24-hour notices are no longer required. Sec. 82-703 makes the department log and report every inspection, remediation and emergency removal, including arrests, pregnant women, children, and animals present. S. Ord. No. S. Ord. No. 29584 §1 (8-10-23).