BOZEMAN — Multiple streets in Bozeman that were once lined with campers are now empty.
“There are still people that, you know, don’t want to let go of their homes,” said Carina, a former urban camper who used to live off Baxter Lane.
WATCH: Bozeman bans urban camping with $500 daily fines starting Nov. 1
“Their campers are like their homes, and they’re used to having that independence that you don’t necessarily have at a center.”
Carina used to live in a camper herself until last November, when the city passed Ordinance 2172, which made it illegal to live in vehicles parked on city rights-of-way without a permit.
“When I heard there were going to be some restrictions that were going to be put down, I sold my camper,” she said.
Now, that law is changing again.
“As of November 1st, 2025, there will be no more permits for the city of Bozeman,” said Ben Bailey, neighborhood services program manager.
Urban camping will be prohibited, and people living in campers or tents could face fines up to $500 per day.
Bailey said nonprofits such as HRDC, Family Promise, and Haven connect with the city of Bozeman to help people find housing.
“Whether it’s traditional housing like a rental or condo, or non-traditional housing like the fairgrounds, we’re trying to connect people with the right resources,” Bailey said. “There is somebody out there that can connect them to the right people and the right places.”
He added that the goal of ending urban camping is to create a "better quality of life for them, the general public, and keeping the streets clean and safe for what their intended purposes are.”
Carina now lives at the HRCD Warming Center on Wheat Drive.
“I mean, eventually, I think everybody knew it needed to happen,” she said. “Getting housing around here is difficult, and I just hope they can address the issue.”
