Camp 83 is gone. But many remain homeless on Fallsway. Now they have one less place to go.
Baltimore City carried out its Camp83 eviction as promised—even though, fortunately, there was no one there to evict. Police looked on as City sanitation workers bulldozed tents and other belongings left in the area. Activists on scene demanded that the City workers store tents and belongings as promised. To our knowledge, no one has yet confirmed the existence of a storage locker, supposedly in Cherry Hill.
Many of the camp’s residents received last-minute housing through Souls of Hope shelter, organized by Belvedere Assisted Living.
By postponing meaningful action until after Friday, March 8, City Council effectively approved the eviction without taking responsibility. Nevertheless, camp residents and their allies used the opportunity of a Thursday hearing to offer real testimony about homelessness in Baltimore.
The Camp 83 story generated a good deal of news & commentary. A lot of important information and analysis came from independent journalists. Mainstream news also began to cover the story heavily. We “storified” the whole thing so you can go back and see how it unfolded.
Beyond the Barricade has a comprehensive post that collects different perspectives on the eviction, analyzes the city’s talking points, and frames the issue as a struggle against big-league business interests.
Marc Steiner & Anthony McCarthy hosted an action-packed radio hour that included recordings from the eviction (recorded on scene by Stefanie Mavronis & Mark Gunnery), three key city officials (Olivia Farrow, Kate Bridell, & Gabby Knighton) and other voices from the community.
Another eviction story began before we could finish wrapping this one up. Prepare for more.
[...] Advocates for the homeless converged on City Hall on Wednesday night to discuss the future of the “Journey Home” plan to end homelessness. The occasion was a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, stating simply “That the Council calls on the City and external agencies concerned with homeless in Baltimore to appear before it to discuss the status of and proposals for any revisions to Baltimore City’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.” Many of those who testified criticized a recent draft of the plan, as well as the process behind its production and implementation. Others used the forum to discuss Baltimore’s homelessness crisis and the City’s aggressive policy of evicting outdoor encampments. [...]