Homeless people in Lancaster can no longer gather near the county government
By Jade Campos/LNP | Lancaster Online
Andy Blackburn/LNP | Lancaster Online
Photo of the Lancaster County Government Center is shown Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Lancaster.
For health reasons, Lancaster County and city authorities are making great efforts to prevent homeless people from gathering to sleep or socialize at the county government center on North Queen Street.
The county sheriff’s office and city police began monitoring the 100 block of North Queen Street on Monday to ensure no one was outside the building.
By late Monday morning, the area around the county building, often crowded with people and their belongings, was completely cleared, with only a few bags left unattended. Binns Park and Ewell Plaza, which are adjacent to the county building and owned by the city, were also nearly empty.
Amber Strazzo Righter, communications manager for the city of Lancaster, said county officials decided to evict homeless people from the area. Social workers began relocating people and their belongings last week, ahead of the organized effort Monday, she said.
“Asking people to leave without immediately finding shelter is a complex and sensitive issue,” Strazzo Righter said. “The decision follows a rise in crime and the presence of human waste, rodents and other hazards in public street spaces, all of which threaten public health and well-being.”
A Lancaster County representative did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Sitting on benches in Binns Park on Monday, some people who described themselves as homeless said they were told over the weekend that they had until Monday to leave, but were not told why or where they could go. Instead, they were told they were not allowed to sleep or stay in the downtown area. Several people have entered rehabilitation programs just to find housing for the next few months, they said.
Deputies and police have told people they are not allowed to move to Binns Park, Ewell Plaza or Penn Square, according to an email sent Friday to local business owners and elected officials by Dave Aichele, executive director of the Downtown Investment District. Strazzo Righter said everyone has been told to follow city park rules that prohibit camping and staying in parks after hours.
Aichele referred a reporter to the county’s homeless coalition but did not respond to emailed questions seeking further comment.
A homeless man without a home agreed Monday that there is a safety issue in the area that needs to be addressed. Garbage on the ground has attracted dozens of mice, he said, and people are forced to do their business outdoors because there are few public restrooms. The city’s new permanent restroom at the corner of North Prince and West Orange streets is of some help, he said, but it is usually occupied.
Deb Jones, director of the county’s homeless coalition, said the coalition is working with county and city officials and the Lancaster City Alliance to respond to health concerns. Social workers will continue to contact people who need help while police monitor the city center, Jones said. Social work was ramped up this summer after the coalition’s city-based homeless shelter closed.
Limited space in accommodation
Out of concern for public health and safety, district leaders have repeatedly called for greater surveillance around the government building in the past.
After County Commissioner Josh Parsons suggested last spring that the county could build a fence around the building to prevent gatherings, many homeless people disappeared from the area for several weeks. Officials said deputies and police officers were never instructed to remove people from the area and could not explain the reason for the change.
In May, a small fence was erected around the government building, which district officials said was an attempt to increase security during the election campaign.
Across the county, more people are currently sleeping on the streets than in recent years. An annual count conducted this year by the Homelessness Coalition found 122 people were living on the streets, compared to 107 last year. A total of 597 people were classified as homeless, a 13.5% increase from 2023.
The Homelessness Coalition’s 40-bed homeless shelter closed in June after the lease on the North Prince Street building expired and no organization agreed to take over the contract with the Lancaster County Food Hub to run the shelter.
Construction has begun on the coalition’s new 80-bed emergency shelter, which is scheduled to open in December at Otterbein United Methodist Church on East Clay Street. The YMCA of the Roses has been contracted to operate the shelter. Anchor Lancaster has also extended the hours of its weekday day center at First United Methodist Church on East Walnut Street.
In the meantime, the only available emergency shelters in the city are at the Water Street Mission on South Prince Street. The nonprofit’s emergency shelter requires an intake process for a 90-day stay.
Matt Clement, marketing director for the Water Street Mission, said the shelter is currently at capacity and requests have increased in recent days, but he encouraged anyone needing a bed to check in with the nonprofit daily as beds could open up at any time.
Jones said there are currently no additional accommodations available.
“Short-term funding is available for independent living, but accessing that funding is challenging for many homeless individuals due to housing costs and lack of a steady income,” Jones said by email.
A collection of interviews, photos and music videos with local musicians who stopped by the WITF performance studio for a little discussion and sound sharing. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
