Homeless at JFX encampment moving out to meet city's deadline
BALTIMORE - A homeless encampment under the Jones Falls Expressway in downtown Baltimore was forced to clear by the end of Friday.
As of late afternoon, it appears the encampment at Saratoga and Gay streets are close to being vacated following a monthlong conflict with the city.
The homeless encampment is set up where Baltimore's Farmers Market is situated every Sunday. Many venders say they lost space when the encampment popped up.
Randolph Joynes, who has been homeless for two months, is being forced to move elsewhere.
"So, really, all this is new to me," Joynes said. "You know, this is something we see on TV."
Joynes and dozens of others packed up their belongings to meet the city's Friday deadline to move out.
"We will not degrade our homeless individuals and have them evicted," homeless advocate Christina Flowers said. "We will move with dignity and pride."
Flowers and advocates at Nuwave Health took in more than a dozen people Friday and connected them with temporary housing.
"We got 15 individuals right now," Flowers said. "We need bus passes. They need support. They need the wraparound services."
Baltimore City posted a Friday deadline ahead of Sunday's Farmers Market.
Joynes feels the City put commerce over residents.
"I don't understand how you put product—vegetables—over top of human life," Joynes said.
Joynes reiterated that vegetables were give priority at that location.
"They put us out for vegetables," Joynes said. "Homeless people not worth much more than that."
Flowers told WJZ wants the city to invest in better housing options.
Some of the people moving from under the bridge have been homeless for decades, according to Flowers.
Joynes packed all his belongings in a car to a temporary place to stay.
"We're being forgot about. We're being forgot about," Joynes said.
Advocates asked the city to keep their distance on Friday, and we've seen that, allowing many of the nonprofits take the lead.
The city says it has offered services to some of the campers but many do not want to go into shelters.
