The city of Aurora is committed to a compassionate and care-focused approach to balancing the needs and security of those experiencing homelessness with the concerns of community members and the need to maintain the safety and health of the city.
This webpage summarizes the Business Policy Memorandums on abatement of unauthorized camps and storage of personal property from abated camps. These policies address abatements only on public property; however, the city has agreements in place with other agencies, such as the Colorado Department of Transportation, to also abate on their property if needed.
What is public property?
Public property is property and real estate owned by a government entrusted by the people for care. This does not necessarily mean that the property is available for public use or access, however — it simply recognizes that the property was bought and is maintained with taxpayer dollars. More specifically, public property includes (but is not limited to): a street, median, alley, sidewalk, strips of land between streets and sidewalks, travel lanes, bike path, greenway, public parking lots, city parks, city buildings and more.
See city-owned property map.
Abatements and Personal Property
All camps located on public property where camping is not expressly authorized by the city are eligible for abatement. The city follows an established encampment review process to assist those experiencing homelessness in ending their need to camp on public property. On the date of abatement, there must be a shelter option available for every individual in the camp, or the camp cannot be abated.
On the day of abatement, the Aurora Outreach Team takes any personal documents or identifications found at the camp to the Aurora Day Resource Center to store those items for up to one year. The Aurora Day Resource Center will manage and provide storage for individuals in an unauthorized camp who are actively receiving their services.
Check out this video to learn more about the abatement process:
Aurora Outreach Team
The Aurora Outreach Team is not an enforcement entity. Instead, it engages with people who are camping or living out of their vehicle or RV and works with them to access homeless services in the community. Members of this outreach team are trained professionals with years of experience working with people experiencing homelessness.
Reporting an Encampment
The public may report encampment(s) through Access Aurora at AuroraGov.org/ContactUs or by phone at 303.739.7000. Access Aurora is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The city is working hard to address the high volume of abatement (camp cleanups) requests as quickly as possible with the available resources.
Questions?
For questions on the abatement process, please contact Access Aurora at 303.739.7000.
Private Property Abatements
Private property owners have the right to request members of encampments on their property to leave immediately and may work with the Aurora Police Department for stand-by assistance by contacting the non-emergency line at 303.627.3100.
The city can provide abatement and cleanup assistance to private property owners at the owner’s expense. The city’s Code Enforcement Division manages this process with the Aurora Police Department. Learn more about the city's Standard Code Enforcement Process.
Submit your code enforcement complaints through Access Aurora.