How does cleaning tent cities fight the larger issue of homelessness?

Last month, Cincinnati cleaned a tent city under the Interstate 71 overpass near Paul Brown Stadium – and then allowed people living there to return that day.

Homeless encampments have always existed in Cincinnati, but the way the city treats them has changed.

While officials hope the cleanups add some dignity and safety to living in the camps, advocates say cleanups are just a band-aid on the larger wound of homelessness.

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What did the city do at the camp?

Because of increasingly unsanitary conditions, people living in a camp by Third and Plum Streets asked police to intervene. On April 13, a city crew removed trash and waste using a pressure washer, Bobcat and garbage truck.

Officer Tim Eppstein said residents had been notified of the cleaning 72 hours prior, and everyone voluntarily moved as city crews worked. Later that day, the camp was full again.

“Nobody is evicted,” Cincinnati Police Capt. Michael Neville said on April 13.

Why did they do this?

Eppstein said the cleanups serve a purpose beyond sanitation: it also starts the clock on getting people into shelters, and eventually, homes. Notification letters police delivered to camp residents prove to social services that they were found homeless.

"So it's not just warning them for trespassing," Eppstein said. "It's connecting to services and proving they are homeless so that they can do something about their homeless situation."

In 2014, when police removed people living on the steps of the county courthouse, outreach workers were present to help get those people to shelters.

"The last thing we need is an abrupt enforcement action that scatters this at-risk population, making it all that more difficult to connect them to social services," County Administrator Christian Sigman said at the time.

So, what changed?

Two courts in the last fifteen years decided the way police used to flush out camps was no longer acceptable.

In 2006, after homeless people’s belongings were destroyed during a camp clean-up under the Fifth Street Viaduct, the 6th Circuit Court ruled destruction of property without notice or the ability to reclaim belongings violates due process rights.

The Southern District Court of Ohio ruled in 2003 that homeless people should also be given 72 hours notice that they are committing a prohibited act before they are arrested. These acts include sleeping outside, littering and camping in public or private areas.

Police changed their policies after the cases set current city standards to protect homeless citizens interacting with government agencies.

Does the city have to clean the camps?

Eric Tars, senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, said no city is legally obligated to keep homeless camps clean. But, it wouldn't hurt to offer ways for camps to stay clean, like trash cans and portable toilets.

“The more cost-effective thing is obviously to allow people to take care of their own sanitation,” Tars said. “In places where this has been done, homeless people don’t particularly enjoy living with trash all around them, they don’t enjoy needing to go to the bathroom outdoors.”

As far as making camps safe places, Eppstein said the priority should be getting people in shelters and off the street.

“A public sidewalk shouldn’t be living quarters,” Eppstein said. “It wasn’t designed that way, it’s not for that."

How much does it cost to clean a camp?

Between $1,100 and $7,800, depending on the equipment and amount of workers needed. Some jobs require pressure washers and specialty trucks.

There have been five cleanups to date between February and April, according to Superintendent of Neighborhood Operations Jeff Wilson. Superintendent of Facilities Joel Koopman said the cost of all five was about $15,000.

While there is no set time camps must be cleaned, Cincinnati has already scheduled two more cleanups in the next few weeks.

Where else does the money go?

The cost to clean camps is a drop in the bucket compared to the $17.4 million the Department of Housing and Urban Development gave Cincinnati and Hamilton County to combat homelessness in 2016. The majority of those funds went to projects for permanent housing and rapid re-housing.

The programs, public and private, offer financial aid to cover rent, security deposits and utilities for struggling families.

“Much of the support for homelessness-reducing initiatives is funded directly through the City of Cincinnati budget,” a city statement read. Those funds total nearly $850,000, with an additional $800,000 in federal grants.

What if we just cleared out camps completely?

Cincinnati cleaned the PBS camp knowing residents would return later. When other cities flush out homeless camps, it often means keeping people from returning. But return they do. In a few weeks, cleared-out camps begin to form again.

Strategies to End Homelessness regularly sends teams of community outreach members to camps and those living on the street. Kevin Finn, president and CEO of Strategies, said the solution to end homelessness is to get people in shelters where there are resources to help transition into permanent housing.

But workers who find housing spots for homeless people must be able to keep in contact. Finn said if workers were no longer able to find people because a camp was razed, their spots would be lost.

“If people are routinely evicting homeless people, it could lead to people being homeless longer,” Finn said.

How many homeless camps are in Cincinnati?

There are over 50 homeless encampments like the one near PBS across Greater Cincinnati, according to Eppstein. As liaison for the Central Business District, Eppstein makes monthly visits to his district’s 15-20 active camps.

About 30 people live in the camp by PBS. Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, said there is no such thing as a typical camp, and a camp can be one person or many people living together.

How many people are homeless in Cincinnati?

In 2016, Strategies to End Homelessness and HUD counted 1,116 homeless people living in Cincinnati.

Spring said the problem is actually much worse since it is next to impossible to accurately count the homeless in any city.

The yearly point-in-time count, conducted within one day in January, only tallies people in shelters and some sleeping outside. Spring said people living in vacant buildings, in cars, on couches or are otherwise out of sight can't be counted.

“70 percent of folks don’t get counted," Spring said. "If tomorrow, we went from 200 to 400 beds, that number would be higher, it just isn’t counted."

Why can't people just use shelters?

Cincinnati had less than 1,000 emergency beds and around 2,500 slots for more permanent housing in 2016, according to HUD. The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition lists 10 active shelters on its website.

But for some people, using a shelter simply isn’t an option, Finn said.

Mental illnesses that cause anxiety or paranoia make it hard to adapt to a crowded shelter. Those living with addiction might find it easier to sleep outside than in a shelter without drugs or alcohol.

Spring said because of a shortage of housing, some people have no other option but to live outside.

"We have a gap of about 40,000 in housing units, 28,000 in Cincinnati proper," Spring said. "That is why we have homelessness to the extent that we do.

"It's the worst it's ever been in the city. It's never been this bad."

How do other cities treat homeless camps?

Cleveland has a homeless population that outnumbers the amount of available shelter beds. Chris Knestrick, director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, said people still have to live somewhere, so they turn to camps.

Tars said in Los Angeles, whose homeless population soars over 55,000, ordinances have been passed to make life on the street even more uncomfortable, including removing benches and limiting how much homeless people can have with them on the street.

To deal with shortages of space and resources, other cities turned to tiny homes and government-approved homeless encampments.

Since 2016, Seattle has experimented with city-sanctioned homeless camps on city and private property that can stay up for a year or longer. Community advisory committees monitor camp conditions, and outreach groups offer permanent housing and employment solutions to residents.

Hawaii has a falling statewide homeless population of 7,220. According to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Gov. David Ige is considering moving the state’s largest homeless encampment onto government land called “ohana zones” like Seattle’s city-authorized camps.

Could city-authorized homeless camps work here?

Spring said in a way, there are already authorized homeless camps here. Because Cincinnati cleans the tent cities, it has effectively authorized people to live in them.

"That would be a form of allowing the zones to exist, and instead of harassing people, we are going to put our energy and our resources into dealing with the housing crisis such that the camper in a zone has the opportunity to have their own place to live and not have to resort to that," Spring said.

What do the homeless think?

For the people living in makeshift settlements under bridges, near alleys or in vacant buildings, it’s their last refuge.

Chuck, a resident of one downtown homeless encampment, said he had a spot in a local shelter but was turned away after he left for a day. He explained when someone leaves the shelter they are staying at, it can take months to get their spot back.

“Now, there’s nowhere for someone like me to go,” Chuck said.

Jaime has also lived in the camp “on-and-off” for a few months, but he’s been homeless for longer. He said life in the camp is lonely, despite being around about 30 other people.

“Even in the group, you feel like you’re on your own,” Jaime said.

With nowhere to properly use the bathroom, waste piles up. There is no access to water and little privacy as people pass the rows of tents, mats and cardboard on their walk to work each day.

What about panhandling?

Panhandling is legal, but the city ordinance is strict. It is illegal to verbally ask for money 20 feet from building entrances, on public transportation, near ATMs or from people in cars.

Violating panhandling law is a fourth-degree misdemeanor carrying a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

It's completely legal to sit and hold a sign asking for donations, and asking for money is fine as long as it isn't aggressive.