Des Moines camping ban forces unhoused Iowans to leave resources behind
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Des Moines' homeless encampment removals are pushing unhoused residents from site to site more often, even though the city says its 2024 camping ban hasn't changed enforcement, according to reporting from Midwest Newsroom.
Why it matters: Unhoused people camping along the Des Moines River told Midwest Newsroom they're facing more frequent pressure to relocate and move farther away from resources, sometimes losing medication, IDs and belongings in the process.
Catch up quick: Following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to criminalize public sleeping and camping, the Des Moines City Council passed a policy in September 2024 making it illegal to camp outside designated recreational areas and sleep in public areas like sidewalks.
- The rule requires people to move their belongings within three days, rather than 10, and violators could incur a $15 fine or a misdemeanor.
- Most of the Des Moines City Council supported the decision, citing safety concerns, especially for social workers visiting encampments, but dissenters said it was overly punitive.
By the numbers: The number of homeless encampments greatly varies, and they're typically flagged by the city based on resident complaints.
- Iowa's unhoused population grew 7% between 2024 and 2025 to more than 2,800 people, per U.S. Housing and Urban Development data, bucking a 3.3% national decline.
The big picture: Chris Johansen, the city's director of neighborhood services, told Midwest Newsroom the approach to encampment sweeps hasn't changed since the 2024 ban. Now, it partners with Primary Health Care to offer services to people before sweeps occur.
- Within the first 18 months of the partnership, 500 people got services, per PHC.
What they're saying: Stephanie Roth, 50, who has fibromyalgia and uses a walker, says she's been threatened with impoundment repeatedly: "They tell you to move or we'll impound, move or we'll impound."
- Melissa Rardin, 43, says a May encampment sweep left behind her daily Suboxone prescription and cost her and her husband $2,000–$3,000 in property.
Zoom in: Angie Arthur of Homeward Iowa says citations and fines haven't materialized as feared, but "there is more movement within the camp system," which can cause its own problems.
The other side: Devon Kurtz of the Texas-based Cicero Institute, which promotes camping bans nationally, says leaving encampments alone hasn't worked and that bans push people toward shelter and treatment systems.
Go deeper: Camping bans force unhoused Iowans to face removal or move farther from resources (Midwest Newsroom)