Manchester's largest encampment of homeless people quietly cleared out
Apr. 15—The few remaining residents of one of Manchester's largest homeless encampments — — a site adjacent to the Firestone auto care center — packed up and left the property Thursday under the gaze of city police and firefighters.
Officials said the camp had been emptying out over the last few days and by Thursday morning only a handful of camp residents remained. Community activists helped to bag their belongings, loaded up their cars and brought residents wherever they wanted to go.
Heidi, who is 37, said she will look for a place that is secluded.
"That seems to be the thing; they want us in the woods," said Heidi, who said she had been living at the camp for about two months. She said depression and mental illness were factors in her homelessness.
A week ago Thursday, Pan-Am Railways police and Manchester police told the camp residents they had a week to leave. The camp was on private land and the residents were trespassing, police said.
At that time, 32 people were living in the camp, which was the biggest in the city, said Fire Chief Dan Goonan. A camp that big facilitated outreach and assistance efforts, but outreach workers will try to maintain contact with those displaced, he said.
On most nights, he said, the New Horizons shelter has five or so beds available, if that many.
"It's up to them where they will go," Goonan said. "In the big picture, there's not enough places for these people."
City police and fire officials were on hand only in a support role for railroad police, the chief said.
During a news conference on Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu said he expects some of the millions of dollars coming into the state, cities and towns from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan will address homelessness.
"We're going to have more than enough money to deal with that," he said.
But the Republican governor said he needs flexibility from Washington to divert some of the $200 million in rental assistance — money he said will never be spent — to brick-and-mortar projects such as shelter expansions. That money was in former President Donald Trump's December coronavirus relief bill, he said.
The clearing of the site lacked the drama of the November eviction from the Hillsborough County courthouse lawn. Then, activists brought food and moral support to the high visibility site. Protesters held signs and many residents stayed until the last minute and hollered and screamed as workers cut up their tents.
On Thursday, volunteers loaded people and their belongings into their cars and drove them wherever they wanted to go. A woman who gave her name as Kay said volunteers had moved about 20 people.
She said some can't live in the shelter and prefer seclusion.
"The city has to recognize that a lot of people have tried to live in the shelter before," Kay said.
Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said the camp clearing went smoothly. Over the past several days, community policing officers have encouraged residents to leave, he said.
"The level of cooperation of the people staying here has been very good," he said.
Aldenberg said police won't be following the campers, and that he expects most will move to another outdoor site.
Although Families in Transition has loosened restrictions at its New Horizon shelter, most don't want to move to the shelter, he said.
Goonan said there are about 27 sites in the city where homeless people live.
