Lancaster homeless population can no longer congregate near county government building, officials say

• By Jade Campos/LNP | LancasterOnline

Citing health concerns, Lancaster County and city officials are making a concerted effort to prevent homeless people from congregating at the county government center on North Queen Street to sleep or socialize.

The county sheriff’s office and city police Monday began monitoring the 100 block of North Queen Street to ensure people are not residing outside the building.

By late Monday morning, the area surrounding the county building, often filled with people and their belongings, was entirely cleared out, with just a few bags sitting unattended. Binns Park and Ewell Plaza, which are adjacent to the county building and owned by the city, also were mostly empty.

Amber Strazzo Righter, Lancaster city’s communications manager, said county officials made the decision to move homeless people away from the area. Outreach workers began relocating people and their belongings last week ahead of Monday’s organized efforts, she said.

“Asking individuals to leave without an immediate solution for shelter is a complex and sensitive issue,” Strazzo Righter said. “The decision follows an increase in crime and the presence of human waste, rodents and other hazards in the public right-of-way, all of which jeopardizes public health and well-being.”

A representative from Lancaster County did not return a request for comment Monday.

A few people who self-identified as homeless were sitting on benches in Binns Park on Monday and said they were told over the weekend they had until Monday to leave but were not told why or where they could go. Instead, they were told they couldn’t sleep or congregate downtown. Several people checked into rehabilitation programs simply to find shelter for the next few months, they said.

According to an email sent Friday by Downtown Investment District Executive Director Dave Aichele to local business owners and elected officials, deputies and police officers have told people they cannot relocate to Binns Park, Ewell Plaza or Penn Square. Strazzo Righter said everyone has been asked to follow city park rules that prohibit camping and being in parks after hours.

Aichele referred a reporter to the county’s Homelessness Coalition but did not respond to emailed questions for further comment.

One unsheltered homeless man on Monday agreed there is a safety issue in the area that needs to be addressed. Trash left on the ground has attracted dozens of mice, he said, and people are forced to go to the bathroom outside due to limited options for public restrooms. The city’s new permanent bathroom at the corner of North Prince and West Orange streets has been of some help, he said, but it is usually occupied.

Deb Jones, director of the county’s Homelessness Coalition, said the coalition has been working with county and city officials as well as the Lancaster City Alliance to respond to health concerns. Outreach workers will continue connecting with people who are in need of resources as law enforcement monitors the downtown area, Jones said. Outreach efforts grew this summer after the coalition’s city shelter closed.

Limited shelter space

County leaders have made calls for greater enforcement around the government building on multiple occasions in the past, citing concerns of public health and safety.

After county Commissioner Josh Parsons last spring suggested the county could build a fence along the building to prevent congregation, many homeless people disappeared from the area for a few weeks. Officials said deputies and police officers were never instructed to remove people from the area and couldn’t explain the reason for the change.

A small fence was installed around the government building in May, which county officials said was an effort to bolster security for elections.

More people are sleeping on the street throughout the county now than in recent years. An annual count conducted this year by the Homelessness Coalition found that 122 people were living on the streets compared to 107 last year. In total, 597 people were identified as experiencing homelessness, a 13.5% increase from 2023.

The Homelessness Coalition’s 40-bed shelter closed in June after the lease on the North Prince Street building ended and no organization stepped up to take over the Lancaster County Food Hub’s contract to run the shelter.

Construction has begun on the coalition’s new 80-bed shelter, set to open in December at Otterbein United Methodist Church on East Clay Street. YMCA of the Roses has been tapped to operate the shelter. Anchor Lancaster has also extended hours for its day center on weekdays at First United Methodist Church on East Walnut Street.

In the meantime, the only shelter beds available in the city are at Water Street Mission on South Prince Street. The nonprofit’s emergency shelter requires an intake process for a 90-day stay.

Matt Clement, marketing director of Water Street Mission, said the shelter is currently at capacity and requests have gone up over the past few days. Still, he encouraged anyone in need of a bed to check in with the nonprofit daily, as beds could open up at any time.

Jones said no additional shelter resources are currently available.

“There are short-term financial resources available for independent housing, but utilization of these resources is challenging due to housing costs and a lack of steady income for many unsheltered individuals,” Jones said via email.