Most of the 40+ people living in Jones Swamp area homeless camp have moved on

Pensacola’s Area Housing Commission says most of the homeless campers who were living on property the agency owns next to Jones Swam in Warrington have moved.

More than 40 people experiencing homeless had been living on the wooded property that borders the Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve & Nature Trail near the intersection of Navy Boulevard and U.S. Highway 98. In February, the Area Housing Commission gave the campers 90 days to leave, and the deadline to do so was May 14.

The agency’s executive director, Abe Singh, said all but 10 to 12 individuals have moved, some into programs to help them get off the street and others to unknown locations.

Singh said the agency is working with a legal team to remove the people who remain and recently posted another sign stating the site’s address. He said some of the campers mistakenly believed the updated sign was an “invitation” for people to move back onto the property, but he said that is not the case, it’s simply another step in the process of legally moving the people who are still staying there.

“The intent was to put the sign there so people know what property this is and because eventually the sheriff's department is going to be involved,” explained Singh. “That's why I put the sign there. That address was not meant to solicit other homeless individuals.”

Singh said the people who remain on the commission’s property will also each receive letters informing them they must vacate.

The Area Housing Commission has been under pressure to move the campers since last fall.

Some people who live and work in the area spoke to the agency's board last November. While many sympathized with the plight of the campers, they said the campsite discourages people from visiting the Jones Swamp trail while also encouraging people who are homeless to stay in the area, which leads to more issues associated with homelessness like panhandling, trespassing and trash.

In November, a portion of the boardwalk for the Southwest Greenway Trail was destroyed by a fire that spread from a homeless campsite. The public hiking trail is in the same area where the Jones Swamp campers live.

Previously: Fire from homeless camp destroys part of public hiking trail in Warrington

Escambia County District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler has also been pushing for the campers to move to help clean up the area, which is in his district. He said he has received complaints from neighbors and business owners who say the campers should go for a range of reasons, from trash and debris to drug use and panhandling.

"I'm very happy that the housing authorities finally took the initiative to take care of their property and this problem," said Kohler. "It was their responsibility and they neglected it for too long."

Kohler said as a result of most of the campers moving there are dozens of stray cats in the area, an issue he intends to address.

The Area Housing Commission’s board was reluctant to make the campers leave without a transition plan and they passed one earlier this year, which lead to their efforts they’re making now. Singh said the goal is to move the remaining campers as soon as possible.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Jones Swamp campsite in Warrington nearly cleared of campers