Savannah, Georgia, a city renowned for its charming landscapes adorned with Spanish moss, scenic waterfronts, and intricate ironwork, is facing a challenge. Local business leaders and city officials are striving to address increasing concerns over homelessness and safety in the historic area.
The City of Savannah, along with the Savannah Chamber and the Savannah Tourism Leadership Council, issued a joint statement addressing recent media coverage. “We are aware of the reports highlighting a visitor’s experience in our city, which emphasize the visible challenges of homelessness and safety issues in our historic public squares and spaces,” the statement read, as shared with Fox News Digital.
While these organizations criticized some of the media narratives as being sensationalized for clickbait, they conceded that the concerns are genuine and increasingly noticeable to residents, business proprietors, and visitors alike.
An image captured on October 21, 2025, shows an individual experiencing homelessness resting on a bench in Reynolds Square. (Photo by Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Bert Brantley, President and CEO of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the daily impact on the business sector. “Our businesses, employees, and downtown residents rely on our public safety system to identify those involved in illegal activities and ensure accountability,” Brantley stated in November 2024.
“Our businesses, workers, and downtown residents expect our public safety system to identify those committing crimes and deliver consequences for those illegal activities,” Brantley said in November 2024.
Homelessness remains a top concern for chamber members. Ahead of Savannah-Chatham Day in February 2026, Brantley called it “such an important issue,” while Mayor Van Johnson said city leaders are pursuing state-backed solutions to address ongoing challenges, according to WJCL.
City officials have increasingly turned to enforcement measures. In June 2025, WJCL reported on the city’s proposed urban camping ordinance, which city officials said would make it unlawful to camp, store personal property or get in the way of traffic.
Savannah, Georgia’s famous fountain in Forsyth Park in the downtown historic district park. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Savannah passed an urban camping ordinance prohibiting camping, storing personal property in public spaces and obstructing sidewalks or traffic.
“I don’t think there’s a single person on this council that believes we should criminalize homelessness,” Alderman Kurtis Purtee told WJCL at the time. “But we have to figure out a way to start working together as a community, while holding people accountable for their actions.”
Johnson described the ordinance as “another tool in the toolbox,” adding that some individuals “regularly engaged in criminal activity” require a different response.
Homeless individuals sit in Reynolds Square as the morning sun shines through on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. (Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Since the law took effect, the city says enforcement has led to 179 citations and 15 arrests. Officials also report that 135 individuals have engaged with service providers, with roughly 30% entering shelters after contact with authorities.
Encampments in the historic district have been reduced by about half since 2023, according to figures provided by the city and partner organizations. Those figures were not independently verified by Fox News Digital.
Located within sight of City Hall is the golden dome that is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. (Richard Burkhart via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
Beyond homelessness, authorities say the region is also contending with evolving drug threats.
A February 2026 News4Jax report on a DEA-led initiative, “Operation Fentanyl Free America,” highlighted shifting trafficking patterns in Southeast Georgia, including methamphetamine being transported in liquid form before conversion.
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Drew Mayer said crystal meth remains “the most prevalent drug” in the region by volume.
“Drug smugglers are tough. They’re not going without a fight. We’ve seen an increase in methods to hide and disguise the loads of drugs with cover loads, transporting some of the drugs in a liquid form and other creative manners to avoid detention,” Mayer told News4Jax.
Savannah, Georgia’s downtown Calhoun Square with trees and homes at sunset. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
While fentanyl-related mass overdoses have declined, the drug remains a concern, with officials noting the emergence of “purple fentanyl” in Savannah, Brunswick and along the Georgia-Florida corridor.
Authorities say trafficking continues through the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick, with drugs moving through Atlanta and down the I-95 corridor into Southeast Georgia and Florida.
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