Businesses in downtown Atwater say the problem is growing by the day.
Marie Middleton owns a florist shop, she says for her is the debris scattered about as homeless people search through trash bins.
"The garbage areas do get pretty trashed sometimes, being that it's done regularly, meaning the mess, it does get pretty messy around the garbage cans."
Atwater's new ordinance forbids sleeping, camping, or storing belongings outdoors.
Mayor James Price says the homeless camping in parks and alleyways has become a growing problem.
"There was also a lot of human waste out there and this got to be something that is becoming a health and safety issue."
Price says violations can bring fines or jail time, but he says the real purpose of the ordinance is to force them to leave the area when asked to.
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