A homeless campsite near the Rivanna River was shut down Monday after occupants were ordered away by police for trespassing on public property. (The areas around the Rivanna are closed after sunset and before sunrise). Featured in a photo in C-VILLE a few weeks ago, the camp of three tents and seven or eight people was located near Meade Park and the Rivanna Trail.
According to homeless advocate Josh Bare, police were alerted to the camp’s existence more than a week ago by one of its residents, who alleged she had an altercation with a homeless man staying there. She then led police to the camp. They promptly notified the camp that they were trespassing. An officer then returned this past Sunday to enforce the earlier order.
"The homeless were evicted from Hope [Community Center], and now from the woods," says Bare, the former director of the Hope shelter and the person who provided the tents used in the now-defunct camp. "Will the city evict them from city limits next?"
While the camp’s homeless will have to scramble for another place to stay, there is a glimmer of hope for the future: Bare is currently looking for a new site for a permanent shelter.
This site was abandoned yesterday after police ordered homeless campers like Paul (pictured) away for trespassing.