Troy Council to Vote Tonight on Banning Living in Vehicles
Vol. IV, No. 70 - New Rules To Be Voted Upon Tonight
Troy City Council meets tonight to decide the fate of Ordinance O-32-2026, a new law that would make it illegal for someone to live out of their car, van, truck, or RV while parked on public streets. The measure already cleared Council’s Safety and Health Committee, which recommended it move forward for a full vote.
What The Ordinance Actually Says
The law would add a new section to Troy’s city code called “Human Habitation in Vehicles Prohibited”, as newly minted Section 521.13 of the City’s Codified Ordinances. The proposed ordinance says any person living in a car, trailer, camper, truck, RV, or boat parked in the public right-of-way is creating a “public nuisance”. Each day someone breaks this rule counts as a separate offense.
But how do you prove someone is “living” in a vehicle, not just parked there? The ordinance lists six signs, and at least two must be present for a violation. These include:
Windows covered or curtained for privacy, not sun or weather protection
Bedding or pillows visible inside, set up for regular sleeping
Cooking equipment, stoves, or food prep gear in or right next to the vehicle
The vehicle hooked up to outside power, water, or a sewage line
Personal items like clothes, toiletries, or furniture stored inside like a home
The same person seen sleeping in the vehicle three or more times over 72 hours
Who Is Exempt
The ordinance carves out four exceptions. It does not apply to a vehicle parked for four hours or less, a truck driver on a federally required rest break, a vehicle that broke down and is waiting for repair or roadside help, or a vehicle whose occupant is waiting for emergency, weather, or safety help.
Why This Matters More Than It Looks
Here’s the part that isn’t likely to get highlighted tonight: this ordinance is being passed as an emergency measure. That single word matters. An emergency ordinance takes effect the moment the mayor signs it, and it cannot be put to a referendum vote by citizens. Normally, Troy residents who disagree with a new law have the right to gather signatures and force a public vote on it, which is rare, but does happen. Declaring an emergency skips that step entirely.
Council’s stated reason is that immediate passage is needed “for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety and property” and that the rule must take effect right away for enforcement to work. That may be true. But it also means residents will have zero say in whether this law exists, only in how it gets enforced after the fact.
The Committee Process Problem
As is typical at Troy City Hall, the Safety and Health Committee did not review this specific written language before recommending it. Committees generally discuss the concept of a proposal, then the full legal text gets drafted and brought to the entire council for a vote. That means the six-condition test and the four exceptions were all written after the committee already signed off on the general idea.
This is efficient. It lets the actual writing happen after council members agree on the goal. But it also means the public, and even some council members, are seeing the real, enforceable details for the first time just days before a vote, on a law that takes away their right to challenge it later.
Residents who want a say should show up tonight, because after this vote, there won’t be another chance to weigh in on this measure.
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