CINCINNATI — Weeks after the city cleared out Stanbery Park, evicting those living there, Mount Washington officials say there are still people living inside the park with a concerning amount of belongings. Council and city members gathered Wednesday night to discuss solutions.
Many at the meeting called the encampment, and the clutter it created, a major safety concern for the area. Stanbery Park Advisory council member Julie Rimer spoke to us before the meeting, noting they've been dealing with a growing number of complaints.
"It’s making people feel that Stanbury Park is no longer safe to go to," Rimer said.
Those in attendance mentioned things like drug use and excess litter in the area. They noted that it appeared many people living in the park were grabbing things from the nearby St. Vincent de Paul. A representative for the organization noted that people cannot just walk in and take things, saying those living in the park are likely grabbing stuff from dumpsters.
Jerry Blackwell has lived at Stanbery Park for eight years. He wasn't at the park when the city, along with police, spent hours packing trucks with the items from those who lived there.
"My stuff has been long gone. They took my ID, birth certificate, and Social Security card," he said.
With cold weather coming, he said he wasn't sure what he would do next.
"I take it as it comes. I don't know if I'll make it out here another winter," Blackwell said.
Blackwell expressed that many of them are living in the park because their rent keeps increasing. Now, he said, it feels like his home won't be home for much longer and he doesn't know what to do.
"They were comfortably living out of sight. [The city] did nothing to help them by moving and stealing their belongings and possessions," said Brian Garry, director of Neighborhoods United. "They actually just caused them to be more miserable."
Garry said he thinks the solution to this problem is simple.
"If the problem is homelessness then the solution is housing," Garry said.
Those attending the meeting did say they had tried to offer assistance to people living in the park to no avail. They invited city leaders to attend the meeting, but none were there. Rimer said they are hopeful that they can come together with city officials and advocates to find a middle ground, getting those living there the help they need and making sure to keep the community safe and clean.
After nearly two hours of back and forth, a solution was still out of reach. Many we heard from said they plan to keep pressing city officials until something changes. Another clear-out is expected at the park in just days.
