Parts of Kensington Avenue cleared as 'encampment resolution' cleans up Philly neighborhood

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say Kensington Avenue has been "officially resolved" after workers cleaned a stretch of the road as part of the city's "planned encampment resolution."

The stretch of road was shut down from East Orleans Street to Allegheny Avenue as homeless encampments were dismantled starting around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

"The temporary closure is needed to ensure the safety of City outreach teams as they engage individuals during the final day of encampment resolution," the city said in a release.

As officers cordoned off the street, sanitation workers and trucks moved in to begin clearing the sidewalks and streets of piles of trash.

Photos posted by Philadelphia show an empty Kensington Avenue just hours later.

City officials say those residing in the area were notified to dismantle any tents or structures that "pose public health and safety hazards and obstruct sidewalk passage."

The 30-day encampment resolution was posted on the 3000–3100 blocks of Kensingnton Avenue on April 4.

Since then, the City of Philadelphia says outreach teams and social services agencies have checked in daily "to ensure low-barrier housing, services, and connections to treatment are made available and offered to people experiencing homelessness at the encampment."

The city reported a total of 59 people accepted housing and services through the process, including 19 who came in on Wednesday. 

Of the 59 people who accepted service during the 30 days, 55 people were connected to housing assistance, including three couples. Housing assistance includes offers of low barrier shelter, recovery focused shelter, safe havens, and respite.  Four people were connected to drug and alcohol services.  

Mayor Parker's administration said there will continue to be outreach and engagement teams working on a daily basis to connect individuals to housing and treatment throughout the community. 

The Philadelphia Mayor praised the work of city workers and agencies involved in the effort. 

"We’re proud of all of the City Departments that worked together to resolve the encampment on two blocks in Kensington that were creating a public safety and health threat to the neighborhood," said Adam Geer, Chief Public Safety Director who briefed the press following the encampment resolution completion. "Throughout the process, no one was arrested, and 59 people came off the streets and into care. That’s in line with Mayor Parker’s vision for the restoration of Kensington and any neighborhood where people are suffering and in need." 

The city also cared for those suffering from wounds even if they did not accept other services. Between April 9 and May 7, they say 88 patients, 12 of which were new patients, were seen for the first time during the extended outreach.  They also treated 1,242 wounds.

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Behavioral health and social service workers will be in the lead, with police in support, as the homeless living in tents and makeshift shelters are directed to leave while being offered rehabilitation services. 

"Carl", a 30-year-old from New York, is homeless and using street drugs. 

He told FOX 29’s Jeff Cole, "everyone is expecting a lot of police and arrests, and from what I know they’ll offer rehab for people that are using. If you don’t want rehab, they’ll start sending people to jail."

Roz Pichardo leads Operation Save Our City, battling overdoses and violence in the heart of Kensington. She doesn’t believe the city has enough services to tackle the large problem.

"It’s the right thing to do if they have someplace to go. Right services, right treatment, she said.

Jay, a 36-year-old from Florida and a user, said he’s seen it before. 

"They came though and made everyone take their tents down, threatened to arrest everyone. All it did was move everyone around and when they were done moving, everyone came back," he said.

The city said it pulled about 28 people off the street and into treatment prior to the Wednesday deadline.

"I believe they’re just trying to move, not stop the problem, just stop the problem in this area," Porsha Andino of Kensington said. "How can we solve anything when it’s so embedded in the city?"

City Council member Mark Squilla, who had come to see the police action Wednesday, said "we have addiction services. We have open beds the mayor has made available. All these aspects are available to folks if they want it."

About two blocks from the action, women running a food pantry complained they opened to find a group of 20 from the encampment hanging out. 

A shop owner, just off the block, sprayed his sidewalk while a long-time resident, near a recently cleared park, feared what may come next.  

Luz Pagan said, "they’re going to come back to the park where the kids are, that’s the only thing to do, and die under the swings and all that stuff."