Douglas County on Tuesday approved a camping ban with a fine up to $1,000 for each violation as it seeks to supplement what officials described as a successful strategy to curb homelessness.

The ban effectively mirrors the law that currently exists in neighboring Denver, where the homeless population has soared in the last several years.

Douglas County’s elected officials approved the ordinance, which prohibits anyone from camping on public property, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to clear the way for cities to enforce camping bans.

Commissioners said the ban — under which violations invite a fine not to exceed $1,000 — complements the county’s initiatives on homelessness. The Douglas County Sheriff’s office is responsible for enforcing the camping ban, which specifically prohibits erecting tents.

Douglas County already discourages residents from giving handouts to homeless people and encourages the public to instead donate those resources to its homeless response team.

That approach has led Douglas County’s homeless population to reach “functional zero,” Commissioner Abe Laydon earlier said while discussing the results of a survey of the homeless population last summer.

That survey counted only six homeless people living on the streets, compared to 43 two years ago. It also revealed zero homeless encampments within county.

Laydon said the camping ban is a way to “reclaim our public spaces.”

The county said the ban intends to “ensure the safe use of public property, to protect those lawfully using public property, preserve public property, promote the safe and lawful use of public property, and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens, including the residents of Douglas County.”

Even as it adopted the camping ban, the county said it will offer individuals resources through its Homeless Engagement Assistance Resource Team (HEART) initiative to help them get off the streets, according to Laydon.

“I think the camping ban is significant,” Laydon said on Tuesday. “Oftentimes, we’ve seen cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, struggle and become victims of their own compassion and, despite our willingness to help, it seems as though that model is severely broken.”

In approving the camping ban, the Douglas County commissioner pointed to Denver’s high homeless population.

“We are dealing with a homeless industrial complex, particularly in Denver, only to see their homeless population go up,” Laydon said, adding that Douglas County’s cost to its homelessness approach is “virtually nothing.”

The bulk of Douglas County HEART dollars — $3.1 million, all told — comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds, state grants and the budget for the sheriff’s office.

Denver has shuttered dozens of homeless encampments and moved roughly 1,950 people into temporary shelters since Mayor Mike Johnston took office in July 2023. That “housing first” approach has cost Colorado’s most populous city $155 million.

Despite Denver’s spending, January’s point-in-time count showed the city saw only 150 fewer “unsheltered” homeless people when compared to last year’s count. The count showed that Denver’s homeless population grew from 5,818 last year to 6,539 this year.

Currently, around 70 homeless are either receiving services from Douglas County or are in shelters, according to its summer point-in-time count.

“The reality,” Laydon said, “is based upon our official point in time. We currently have zero encampments, zero panhandling, and only six unsheltered homeless in a county of 400,000.”

The Douglas County commissioner added: “When you juxtapose that with the City and County of Denver that has about 700,000 people, and an increase in homelessness in that particular area, it’s a great concern to us, and we know that the citizens elected us to address this problem.”