CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston Mayor Danny Jones said a settlement reached after the closure of the homeless encampment “Tent City” is part of a “much larger problem” in the city.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Jones said about the growing homeless population in Charleston. He was a guest on Friday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
City officials and former “Tent City” residents finalized the settlement Friday. Two residents filed a complaint after Jones ordered police to dismantle the site in Jan. 2016. The camp was made up of about 20 tents located along the Elk River.
The “Tent City” land was owned by Waste Management. Jones did not give any notice before shutting down the site, which created a lot of controversy because residents claim their personal belongings were thrown out.
Jones said he needed to remove the camp immediately just like anyone would if it was on their own property.
“If they were getting drunk on your property and if they were robbing stores in your neighborhood and you called us, would you want to wait 14 days or two days until they get a court order?” Jones asked.
When the camp was removed, it was extremely cold outside. Jones said it became a health concern because temperatures were in the single digits.
The city has reported a number of crimes dealing with transient people within the last few months. The most high-profile case was when a California man allegedly killed a woman by setting her on fire on the front porch of a Charleston home. Both the suspect and victim were homeless. The mayor said there’s a difference between people who are homeless in Charleston and people who travel from out-of-state to take advantage of the free food services during the day, then commit crimes at night.
The settlement includes creating a $20,000 fund for people who lost their property after the “Tent City” removal. Some residents have already been reimbursed through vouchers for food, clothing and other personal items, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.