WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A place people called home in Wilkes-Barre was cleared out and cleaned up by the city Thursday morning.
"It's disgusting. I mean for me, homelessness is not a choice," says a woman who previously lived in the encampment. "Some people choose to be homeless for whatever reason but I'm out here with my son."
The homeless encampment sits along the riverfront in Kirby Park, a place often frequented by families, residents, and dog owners.
"I've seen them as we walked along the dike. No one has ever bothered me," says Bonnie Evans of Kingston.
But the city says the area and trails around the encampment has become a place that's become unsafe.
"The city is doing this for the right reasons. To promote a safe and healthy environment over there, for the people that live there and for the people that visit over there. I want people to go to Kirby Park and feel comfortable that it's a safe place to go for families," says Mayor George Brown.
A lot of homeless, they're proud. Veterans, they're proud. They don't want to go into the shelters," said Tammy Wenger.
Wenger is the commander of the Amvets Post 59 in Hanover Township. In her role, she helps homeless veterans across Luzerne County. She says she spoke with Mayor Brown about this decision.
"He's doing a great job and I understand the safety aspect of the needles and the feces and the garbage. Well, maybe put a garbage can by one of the camps or two garbage cans and a 'Job Johnny' and there won't be feces. We have to have a medium. We have to have a happy place," said Wenger.
"There's an awful lot of things that are there that shouldn't be there, open food containers that promote rats and other things. There's just an unhealthy place to go. It's an unhealthy place for residents to go and it's an unhealthy place for our service workers to go," said the Mayor.
Notices by the city were posted earlier in the week warning those using the site of what's to come. However, those who stay there, say it doesn't make it any easier.
"I was kind of disgusted. Some homeless people that need a place. There's not enough shelters in this city," said the resident of the encampment.
"We are at capacity however we have been working to accommodate as much people as we can," says Danielle Keith-Alexandre, the Executive Director of the Keystone Mission.
Keystone Mission in Wilkes-Barre says it's seen at least a dozen people from the encampment come through their doors since it's been cleared out.
"Some are disappointed, however I think when they realize the opportunities for them here here, and at the other organizations, that they really do have a chance to start over and to really get their lives back on track," added Keith-Alexandre.
Wilkes-Barre City just recently poured more than $300,000 into the expansion of the mission's services.
"So now they get breakfast lunch and dinner. They clean up for a while, while they clean up and then they open up at night so homeless people have a place to sleep," added Mayor Brown.
But, those who live this life every day say more still needs to be done.
"I'd like the city to give people a chance. Not everybody is a bad person. Not everybody wants to be homeless, sometimes they need a hand up- not a hand out."
Emergency sheltering is available from:
· Mother Teresa’s Haven, a program of Catholic Social Services is a daily shelter for men with contact by phone at 570-825-9948 or you can go the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, 39 East Jackson Street, Wilkes-Barre where information would be available.
· Ruth’s Place, a program of Volunteers of America is a permanent shelter for single women located at 425 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes-Barre with contact by phone at 570-822-6817.
· Keystone Mission, overnight shelter for men and women from 8PM to 7 AM first come, first served. 90 E. Union Street, Wilkes-Barre with contact by phone at 570-871-4795 x 0600.
Housing Assistance and service options are available from the Commission on Economic Opportunity, contact by phone at 1-800-822-0359 asking to speak with a homeless case manager.
