The city said there were no incidents during the encampment closure, and cleanup efforts are now underway. But they said full cleanup of vegetation and debris from that area of Snyder Park may continue for a month or more.
The original reason cited for emptying the camp was “health and safety” concerns, including sanitary problems given the lack of restroom facilities, according to the city. The city gave camp residents notice of the plan April 4.
Most of the people at the encampments were living behind the woods and train tracks. They were seen packing up belongings into trash bags Monday morning, while also dealing with mattresses, bicycles, clothes and storage bins.
The city said its outreach group included police and fire/EMS staff (with a mental health clinician), city service and community development staff, county park rangers and dog warden, the Nehemiah Foundation and Sheltered Inc.
A man who gave his name only as Thomas, wearing a cowboy hat and a free speech shirt, said he didn’t know where he was going to go, as he gathered belongings in a few carts.
“That’s the mentality of Springfield. Just because one person does something wrong, everybody else has to pay for it,” he said.
Thomas said he does a variety of jobs for people, but carts that had his tools in them were stolen from the site a week earlier.
He said park rangers suggested thieves may have come into the camp, but Thomas wondered if it was done to push people out.
“They gave me until the 5th, but they took everything a week before the 5th. I don’t understand,” he said.
“We make every effort to approach these situations with compassion and care,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said. “While shelter was offered and declined, our focus remains on safety, dignity and connecting displaced individuals to the support they need. We remain committed to helping all members of our community.”
Logan Cobbs, the city’s community development director, previously said that having people actively living in city parks poses significant risks not just to the individuals living there but also to the community as a whole.
City officials said Monday they will work closely with other agencies to ensure “thoughtful, effective and responsive” outreach efforts to homeless people in the community. But they said they were also working to maintain clean and safe public spaces for all residents.
Springfield’s homeless shelter nonprofit, Sheltered Inc., just expanded its Hartley House men’s shelter hours to a full 24 hours daily on Sunday, in connection with the encampment closing. The city provided over $300,000 to fund that change.
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