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Advocates say encampment clearings in August proceeded without notice and left unhoused residents bereft of belongings
Summary
Service providers recounted August 14–15 clearings in Washington Circle and other sites that they say happened with little notice to outreach providers or residents; advocates said belongings and identification were lost and called for compliance with city clearing procedures.
Representatives of homeless-service providers described rapid encampment clearings in mid-August that left residents without belongings or notice. Andy Wassenick, director of policy at Miriam’s Kitchen, recounted that tents around Washington Circle were taken and ‘‘People lost all of their belongings in these clearings, including an artist who lost his art supplies and pieces he was working on and a bike that was his primary means of transportation.’’ He said outreach teams were not given advance notice and that Department of Human Services and outreach staff were not on site when removals occurred.
Witnesses asked the council to require clearer procedures, advance notices consistent with DMHHS policy, and stronger coordination with outreach providers so residents are not displaced without access to their IDs, medication and case records. Several speakers said the incident series in August illustrates the broader harms of coordinated enforcement activity and urged oversight of how city departments interact with federal directives.
