HOMEWOOD, Ala. ( WBRC ) - Less than 48 hours after Homewood’s new encampment ordinance went into effect, homeless advocacy groups across the Birmingham area say they are ready to step in and help those who may be displaced.

City leaders say the ordinance was modeled after a similar one in Mountain Brook — a measure they believe balances public safety with compassion. The new rules make it illegal for anyone to sleep or set up camp on public property. Police can now issue warnings and make arrests if people refuse to comply.

At the Jimmie Hale Mission in Birmingham, Executive Director Perryn Carroll says she’s already thinking ahead about how policies like this might affect nearby communities and the people they serve.

“Criminalizing homelessness does no good for either the individual

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