LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Skyrocketing rent and a lack of affordable housing have driven many people to live in RVs or camper vans.
After passing a new ordinance, the Lakewood Police Department will be able to cite people who have RVs parked on the street for more than 48 hours and will not allow them to move to another area in town.
In passing the ordinance, council members said they received several complaints from neighbors about trash, raw sewage and debris.
Joseph Kniss has lived in his RV in Lakewood for a couple of years. He said this new law would make it harder for him to get out of homelessness.
"I'm not a bad person. I'm not like your typical homeless people," Kniss said. "Everybody thinks that we're thieves, that we're drug addicts and that we're drunks. There's some of us who actually want to be a productive part of society, and this is kind of limiting me."
Neighbors we spoke with in the area said they agreed with the council's decision.
On a one-block radius, there were several RVs with people living inside of them.
The ordinance will take effect on Oct. 26.