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NEW PHILADELPHIA – Two citizens of a homeless encampment near the Tuscarawas River were evicted by police Friday as New Philadelphia city staff began painting to clean up the site.
The two men, a man and a woman known only as Troy and Tonya, left the camp with all their belongings piled into makeshift carts, trudging through a muddy alley that runs through part of the site. It’s a cold, rainy morning, with a few snowflakes flying through the air. The carts were filled with clothes, a portable generator, fuel cans, blankets, dog food, and trinkets.
Read about the encampment: Evicted: New Philly orders citizens of the homeless encampment to vacate the property
The two men were helped remove their belongings through New Philadelphia police officers. The woman accompanied them through her dog.
It’s clear where they went after they were deported.
City workers brought in a vending truck, a garbage truck and two front-end loaders to help pick up debris and trash. There are a wide variety of pieces scattered around the site: toddler toys, metal parts, burnt materials. and an old barrel of oil.
The campground sits on a 6. 12-acre lot off Fourth Street Extension SE, a narrow road that leads to the city’s sewage treatment plant on the river. The assets are owned by CSX Transportation and leased in New Philadelphia. The city uses part of Bank Lane as a playground. Another segment is used to store excess soil and concrete from the framing work.
The site itself sits amidst a dense thicket of saplings and scrub, accessible via narrow trails. There is no smell on the site.
On Jan. 31, officials from the New Philadelphia Police Department and the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office came to post notices warning citizens of the encampment to leave the property. Residents had until March 31 (Easter Sunday) to leave.
The site cleanup is scheduled for April 1 but is delayed due to weather conditions.
“From what I’ve been told through Safety Director (Greg) Popham and General Services Superintendent (Ray) Grewell, it’s going to take at least a week to clean up the area,” Mayor Joel Day said. “They said the camp was much bigger than expected. Excessive plants will be reduced and removed from assets to increase visibility and discourage camping. “
Calvin White, executive director of the New Philadelphia shelter run by Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, said his organization has brought citizens to the camp over the past month.
The other two people evicted Friday had previously resided at the shelter, he said. The guy recently stayed for a day or two, but left of his own volition. The woman had been there for a while, but it hadn’t worked. .
“It’s just unhappy and frustrating,” she said White. Es a congregate shelter. People want to be together. “
Also, the shelter does not accept pets. Only service animals are allowed.
Friends of the Homeless plans to build a new shelter at the existing facility at 211 E. The new facility will feature rooms for singles, “and that will expand things a little bit for other people who don’t socialize well. “.
Future Plans: Friends of the Homeless to Build New Shelter in New Philadelphia
The organization participates in a federal program administered through the state of Ohio, Rapid Rehousing. It is designed for other people who are homeless or living in a homeless shelter. They will pay the first month’s rent and deposit on an apartment and you have the ability to pay them rent for up to a year.
There are several homeless encampments in the New Philadelphia area, adding a Walmart on Bluebell Drive and some near the Tuscarawan River near the New Towne Mall. White said he’s noticed evidence of young people living in some of the camps.
“I don’t have a solution for them,” he said of the two deportees.
Contact Jon at 330-364-8415 or jon. baker@timesreporter. com.
This article appeared in The Times-Reporter: Cleanup Work Begins at New Philadelphia Homeless Encampment Site.
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