Wilkes-Barre City prepared to clear out encampment

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown announced on Monday the encampment behind Kirby Park in the city will be cleaned up and cleared out.

Signs were posted around the encampment on Monday notifying people that they must remove their personal belongings by 6:00 a.m. Thursday.

Otherwise, they will be considered abandoned property. The city is prepared to clear out the area.

“There’s been several people living along the river and it’s been creating a hazardous condition for first of all our emergency, emergency people, that have to go over there, the fireman police, and react to a call,” Mayor Brown explained.

Mayor Brown says conditions like needles and feces in the camp have raised safety and well-being concerns.

“It’s also a danger to the residents and the visitors to the city that wanna go on that area of the park,” Mayor Brown added.

Mayor Brown says there are resources available for people experiencing homelessness and has put over $300,000 into opening a full-time overnight shelter in the area.

However, local social service agencies who work daily with people experiencing homelessness stress resources are lacking.

“There are not enough beds to accommodate the 25 individuals that are living in Kirby Park at the moment. Right now, we are in a severe housing crisis. There is a shortage of housing available. The housing that is available is unaffordable,” said Northeast PA Volunteers of America Senior Director Crystal Kotlowski.

Leaving people experiencing homelessness with nowhere to turn.

“I think that being displaced at any point is a traumatizing experience. So, I think that what they are going to experience right now is not going to help any of the circumstances that they are already suffering with,” Kotlowski continued.

The city says the camps will be cleared out by the end of the day Thursday.

They have also put together a list of resources for people experiencing homelessness.

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