City to delay clearing out Heer Park homeless camp until next week, citing heat wave
The city of Columbus is postponing until next week its plan to clear-out a homeless camp Tuesday at the closed Heer Park on the city's Far South Side because of the brutal heat expected.
"This is less than ideal 24 hours out," Columbus Department of Development spokesman Sheldon Goodrum told The Dispatch in an email Monday. But with an expected high temperature of 97 with 70% humidity, the heat index is expected to be dangerous, he said.
Columbus officials had said they planned to remove the camp near Heer Park on Tuesday, saying that there's been reported drug use at the camp, and that nearby retailers have reported thefts and damage to buildings, although not all damage and theft is being attributed to those in the camp. Last week, the camp held about 20 tents, with other homeless campsites nearby that are closer to the Scioto River and not on property the city intends to clear out.
"Keeping health and safety paramount for all involved (those staying outside, protesters, law enforcement, and staff), we feel this is the best option," said Goodrum, who said the decision was made after officials consulted with Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts and the Columbus city's attorney's office.
Homeless advocates said they had planned to be at the Heer Park campsite Tuesday to protest the city's plans.
"The projected heat index would be unhealthy for anyone there" if the event were carried out Tuesday as planned, Columbus Public Health spokeswoman Kelli Newman said Monday.
Matthew Meyer, a member of the Heer to Serve group and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said the hope is that the city decides not to clear the camp at all, unless it finds homes for those living there.
Last week, Emerald Hernandez Parra, assistant director of special projects in the city's Department of Development, told The Dispatch that she was not sure where those in the camp would go if forced out.
"We encourage them to seek shelter. We can't force them to go inside," she said then.
Some of those in the homeless camps told The Dispatch they don't want to move into shelters or other alternative housing.
For those that do, shelter space is at a premium.
Katie Lundy, spokeswoman for Lutheran Social Services, which operates the Faith Mission homeless shelter, said in an email that the average length of stay at the shelter was up to 62 days from July 2021 to May 20, 2022. That's up from a 45-day average from July 2020 to June 2021, in large part because of a lack of affordable housing.
The city announced in February 2021 that it was "temporarily closing" Heer Park, with one parks official writing the Far South Area Commission about ongoing challenges with drug use, homeless camps, ATV use and generally speaking, an uptick in violent activities at the park.
However, the park never reopened and the city has since removed all of its features, including the playground.
Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks and Metro Parks officials have discussed the possibility of creating a new park at the site. Metro Parks bought 50.7 acres adjacent to Heer Park in October 2019 for about $1.1 million.
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mferench@dispatch.com
@MarkFerenchik
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City won't clear out Heer Park homeless camp until next week
