“They said get out.” Portland homeless encampment to be removed
By Adam Bartow
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PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — The city of Portland plans to start removing a homeless encampment along Marginal Way as soon as late Thursday morning.
Signs posted near where people are living in tents say that removal of the campsite will start as soon as 10:30 Thursday morning. Notice was posted at 10:30 Wednesday morning, providing 24 hours’ notice.
Maine’s Total Coverage spoke off-camera with a few people at the encampment Thursday morning who said the city has not offered them options or resources. One man said, “They came in here a while back and said get the [expletive] out.”
The notice from the city says that shelter is available in the Portland area through emergency shelters. However, just last Friday the city said that all of its emergency shelters, including at the Portland Expo, were at capacity and that they would not be able to house more people until people left.
The notice at the campsite said any property that is confiscated from the camp will be maintained by Amistad at a storage facility for at least a week. People looking to claim property can call 207-550-7920.
This is not the first time the city has cleaned up a homeless encampment. They do it on a semi-regular basis when they determine that there are health and safety concerns.
The city’s director of communications released a statement, saying the campsite removal is “a result of the hazardous health and safety conditions City staff and others have observed”, not because they are campsites.
“Additionally, we recognize that, due to a lack of shelter capacity, some unhoused individuals may have no alternative but to sleep outdoors. In those cases, we recommend that they do not place any tent or other structure or personal belongings on or near a public road or path regularly used by the public in order to avoid becoming an obstruction, which may require removal,” The statement reads.
It advises unhoused individuals to visit the Social Services Division at 39 Forest Avenue to learn about resources.
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