Homeless advocates push Baltimore leaders for more resources

BALTIMORE - Members of the homeless encampment under the Jones Falls Expressway are speaking out about an incident that happened last weekend. 

That homeless encampment remains underneath I-83 in downtown Baltimore.

For decades, those who are homeless have set up camp in that area.

"You've got more than 100 years of homeless underneath this bridge - 100 years," Baltimore resident David Dalton said. 

Homeless advocates and those in the homeless community want Baltimore City leaders to hear their concerns.

"You see it. It's wet, real wet," Ashford Ford said. "It's what it is. That's why I say we need housing." 

Many of those without a home remained under the bridge Saturday night when Baltimore police asked them to move, before the dispute got heated.

Baltimore City said police went out to the site Saturday night as a last resort. One of them tried to set himself on fire.

The space under the bridge is where the city's Farmers Market is held every Sunday.

Vendors setting up for the Farmers Marker were shocked to see them there.

Since then, the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services has been working with the group to connect them to resources, including temporary housing.

However, the Baltimore leaders say some members of the homeless group chose to remain under the bridge.

"There's a lot of traumatic events that can happen in a shelter," said Ayla Reeves. "You have sexual abusers. You have thieves." 

WJZ asked Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott what's the next step for the homeless camped out under the JFX.

"What we will continue to do through the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services is continue to go out there, do their deep work of providing services to individuals, because some folks may think this is a blanket thing, but every different person experiencing homelessness needs different things," Mayor Scott said.

However, those who live under the downtown bridge say not enough is being done.

"The Mayor's Office is showing very much disconcern with our condition and the condition of others," said Alonso Colely. "Like I said, everybody has different needs. Everybody needs different resources."

About a dozen protestors blocked the Gay Street ramp to I-83 on Thursday to call attention to the forced relocation of the homeless campers. 

MOHS made several attempts to provide shelter options to less than a dozen demonstrators, according to city officials. Some people were receptive to offers of shelter, others were not, officials said.

After a week of ongoing conversations, the decision was made to remove the homeless people from their campsite under the Jones Falls Expressway Bridge, according to city officials.

It was a last-resort decision that included a public safety response due to the fact that members of the group had repeatedly refused services and were becoming hostile toward city workers, city officials said.

City records show that there are 1,597 homeless people in Baltimore.