By Eric Curl
May 18, 2025 – On Thursday, the Savannah City Council will consider an ordinance to regulate “urban camping” and the “improper use of public spaces.” A similar ordinance was tabled by the Chatham County Commission on May 9 after agencies and advocates spoke out against the measure which some said would essentially criminalize homelessness.
Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Stephanie Kaple asked at the meeting that the county commission support a 5-year Plan for Ending Homelessness, which includes a policy for addressing homeless encampments, before making any ordinance changes.
“We really want to make sure that we are working with those individuals, connecting them to services that they need to get them into our services and get them out of homelessness”
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However, Tourism Leadership Council President and CEO Michael Owens said the 5-year plan should be considered separately from the ordinance.
“There is no need to wait,” Owens said. “Now is the time to hand a tool that your police department has asked you for and has asked the public for so they can take careful action, compassionate action to protect people who live, work and visit in this community.”
The proposed ordinance revision comes as two nonprofits make expansion plans to address homelessness.
Union Mission is planning to convert a former Family Dollar store at 702 West Oglethorpe Avenue into a resource day center for the homeless after outgrowing the existing center at the nonprofit’s Grace House shelter, according to President and CEO Michael Traynor.
“We really need more room because if we’re really going to be effective, we have to provide the right types of services to bring people in so we can collaborate with them to figure out what those obstacles are and then help them find solutions,” Traynor said in a recent interview with Savannah Agenda. “And so that’s why we bought the Family Dollar Building with the idea that we would create a resource center that would provide different types of opportunities for people to have during the day.”
The center is expected to accommodate 200 people and include a dayroom with laundry and lockers, a barber shop, exam rooms, meeting space, an outdoor courtyard, and onsite case managers. Construction is anticipated to start in the fall and take about six months to complete, Traynor said.
“In terms of this region, this is the only day center of its size,” he said. “And right now we are the largest day center by far in the community. “
Inner City Night Shelter is also planning to expand its facility on the east side of downtown at 124 Arnold St, as previously reported. The expansion is expected to serve those in need by providing space for additional beds, job training, drug counseling, and mental health services, according to the project’s representatives.
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