At least 10 people without homes have been camping in the riverfront area of Kirby Park, including extremely vulnerable individuals, Mayor George Brown said.
"We had an elderly woman. And we also had a young lady who is going to have a baby," Brown said Monday. "And we found them shelter."
Now, Brown and his administration are looking to clear out the camps — starting later this week — and they hope those still sleeping in the park can be encouraged to seek help and get off the streets.
"The current situation needs to be remedied. It presents significant health and welfare issues for area residents who use the park and city first responders who receive frequent calls to that area," Brown said.
Photos provided by city officials showed mounds of trash strewn near the camp, and Brown said hypodermic needles are often found on the ground amid possessions and garbage.
The cleanup is set to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 25 and be completed by the end of business on Friday, July 26, Brown's statement added.
A city notice being posted in the area warns anyone with personal belongings to remove them before 6 a.m. Thursday, otherwise they will be considered abandoned property.
Brown did not know for sure how long people have been living in the park, but that it had been "quite a while."
The camps had been in Kirby Park for an estimated five months or more, however, based on conversations WVIA had with homeless advocates for an unrelated story about a similar camp in Edwardsville in February. At that time, advocates spoke about people living in tents both in Edwardsville and in Kirby Park.
'Our mission is to get help'
Brown’s administration has notified the appropriate local agencies of the city’s plan, a release issued by the mayor said.
"Once this process is completed, the area will be posted, and any violations of current city regulations will be immediately and strictly enforced," it said.
But Brown stressed that the city's goal is not arresting people.
"It's not our mission. Our mission is to get help for people that are homeless," the mayor said. "What we're trying to do is find a safe haven for people to go."
To that end, the city has been supportive of agencies that provide shelter and other resources for people experiencing homelessness.
As Brown pointed out, his administration earmarked $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds for 24 social agencies, including hundreds of thousands of dollars for Keystone Mission's new Keystone Innovation Center for Homelessness and Poverty.
That permanent shelter, which opened in June on East Union Street, can house up to 50 individuals each night. In addition to providing ARP funding to help with startup costs, the city presented a check for $109,500 when it opened to fund a full year of overnight housing.
"It means people have a place to go and sleep at night," Brown said.
Those turning to Keystone also can wash their clothes, get food, and obtain assistance applying for ID cards and other steps needed to look for permanent housing, he added.
It is one of several such agencies in the area.
Resources for those in need
Posters put up around the campsites provide contact information for agencies where those experiencing homelessless can turn for assistance:
Emergency shelter is available from Mother Teresa’s Haven, a program of Catholic Social Services, a daily shelter for men. Call 570-825-9948 or visit the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, 39 East Jackson St., Wilkes-Barre.
Ruth’s Place, a program of Volunteers of America is a permanent shelter for single women located at 425 North Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-822-6817.
Keystone Mission, overnight shelter for men and women from 8 p.m.-7 a.m., first come, first served. 90 E. Union St., Wilkes-Barre. Call: 570-871-4795 x 0600.
Housing Assistance and service options are available from the Commission on Economic Opportunity. Call 1-800-822-0359 and ask to speak with a homeless case manager.
- HELPLINE, the 24-hour information and referral service, can be reached at 570-829-1341 or 1-800-829-1341.
'Some people do not want help'
The challenge, Brown said, is convincing those in need to accept the assistance.
"A big part of this is people have to want to get help. And some people do not want help," the mayor said.
Brown speaks from experience. Several years ago his administration cleaned out another homeless camp from an area near the railroad line that skirts downtown Wilkes-Barre parallel to Wilkes-Barre Boulevard.
Some of those who lived there sought help. Others simply went to camp elsewhere. The mayor knows that could happen again.
"Now, my opinion, what's going to happen is they're going to be moved out of that area, and they're going to go to some other area. It may not be in the City of Wilkes Barre, it may be one of the other campsites that are throughout Edwardsville, or Kingston, or wherever," he said.
He would like to see a different outcome, however.
"I really hope that the people that are over there, seek help, contact one of these agencies and explore how can they change their lives," Brown said. "I just want to make sure people know there's help out there for them. And I ask them to please reach out to these agencies."
