Utrecht municipal council wants city to stop fining people for sleeping on the street

Utrecht’s city council seeks to stop issuing fines to people sleeping outdoors. A motion from BIJ1 urging this, reportedly backed by a broad majority of council members, is set to be submitted on Thursday.

Although sleeping outdoors remains illegal in Utrecht, the city council eased the ban last year. Now, those sleeping outside are to be offered assistance and shelter first, with enforcement targeting only areas where it causes safety risks or ongoing public nuisance.

BIJ1 says that penalizing people who sleep outdoors stigmatizes and criminalizes the most vulnerable. Imposing financial penalties only worsens their situation.

BIJ1 has put forward the proposal twice before, failing to gain majority support. Charlotte Passier, leader of Volt’s council faction, says the current motion is “more nuanced than the earlier versions.” Volt, which had opposed it before, is backing it this time.

D66, holding 8 of the council’s 45 seats, had previously opposed the proposal. Councilor Berdien van der Wilt says the current policy “no longer aligns with Utrecht’s status as a human rights city.” The party is now supporting it because the city executive will have the leeway to adapt rules when necessary, “ensuring that help for homeless people can continue without stigmatization.”

Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma recently told the council that many municipalities face challenges with people sleeping outdoors. She emphasized that sleeping outside alone should not warrant a fine, but that authorities need the ability to respond to complaints from residents or businesses and to persistent safety or nuisance issues. Dijksma added that no municipality has yet found “the ultimate balance” on this issue.