Homeless camp beneath overpass cleared out, fenced off. Where did the homeless go?

Sam Rosenstiel | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Homeless Camp Beneath Overpass Cleaned Out The homeless camp beneath the Interstate 71 overpass near Third Street has been cleared out and power washed.

The homeless camp beneath the Interstate 71 overpass near Downtown's Third Street has been cleared out and power washed. Workers have also fenced off the area.

At 7:30 a.m., crews began sweeping items left behind into the center of the area to be loaded into a garbage truck. Workers also removed the two portable toilets and dumpster the city installed last week.

The city originally announced it would clear out the camp on July 20 but delayed the eviction six days to allow more time for social services to connect with people living there.

Because of the new fence, those who park in lots near Paul Brown Stadium will no longer be able to cut through the concrete space. A city memo last week indicated the area would be fenced off temporarily to “prevent reestablishment” of the camp.

Video: 'Tired of being shuffled around' At a press conference Wednesday, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition and homeless people living on Third Street made it clear they are tired of being shuffled around.

'No intention to leave'

At a press conference Wednesday, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition and homeless people living on Third Street made it clear they are tired of being shuffled around.

Josh Spring, the coalition's executive director, said the people staying on Third Street, some of whom were displaced from the overpass camp, have "no intention to leave".

"There is an intention to call the city and to call the community to task to say that our priorities are out of order," Spring said.

Spring said the homeless issue is multi-pronged: a shortage of affordable housing coupled with low wages creates homelessness, but a shortage of services to help people that are homeless perpetuates the problem.

Spring would like to meet with city officials to work on a long-term solution, but nothing is scheduled. He suggests starting a citywide affordable housing fund and drafting a homeless bill of rights.

Several homeless people told their stories from a lectern with a sign that read: "The Colony". There, Robert Wilcox, a Navy veteran who used to be homeless, asked the city to "do the right thing" for homeless people.

"Right now, they don't have the tools," Wilcox said.

Where did the homeless go?

Leon “Bison” Evans, “mayor” of the Third Street overpass camp, said he helped move people out long before city workers arrived. They set up at a new location where passersby leave them alone. Evans would not specify where the new camp is.

A smaller camp began forming on a hill near Pete Rose Way Tuesday. The tents, behind trees, are visible from both the street and I-71. Spring said it is common for people who move out of camps to do so with a group.

"Unless the city decides to do business differently, we may have this same press conference a week from now down there," Spring told The Enquirer.

Some people living in the overpass camp agreed to go to shelters and applied for housing. Six have received permanent housing certificates while others are moving into detox programs.

But others moved their tents onto Third Street. Two people made shelter in a parking lot outside Paul Brown Stadium before walking up Plum Street.

On Tuesday evening, about 20 people were staying in the Third Street camp. Brian Garry, a board member for advocate group Maslow’s Army, said about half that many remained in the camp Wednesday morning.

Despite the cleanup notices posted in the area, Garry said the remaining people were unfairly moved and were not given a full 72 hours to prepare.

“Just because a person is homeless, it doesn't strip them of their rights," Garry told The Enquirer.

Cincinnati Police Officer Johnny Harris said people staying in the camp Wednesday morning left the camp voluntarily. He spoke to two people about connecting them to social services.

As the neighborhood liaison, Harris makes frequent checks of camps like this one.

"There is no simple solution," Harris said Wednesday.