After the autopsy report of a homeless man revealed gross negligence on the part of DPW, the mayor formed a taskforce to prevent similar deaths in the future. I've spoken to three journalists in the last two weeks about this death. Here is my advice on how to safely clear a homeless camp.
Encampments guarantee none of the resources or structure of city shelters. While some camps have a degree of order imposed on it by the people living there, almost no homeless encampment has access to heat, electricity, running water, trash pick-up, or a mailing address with which to inform 911 if an emergency occurs. In order to provide services to camps, you have to get creative and be comfortable with trade-offs.
Most outreach workers have only ever worked in shelters. A typical example are gyms converted into nighttime warming centers. A high school basketball court may contain a hundred army cots, toilets, showers, trashcans, metal detectors at the entrance, tables for volunteers to give out sandwiches and process intake packets, and parking space for emergency responders in times of crisis, not to mention that the whole building is heated, lit, and regularly cleaned. Working in an encampment requires a very different set of expectations.
So, let's go down the list of shelter resources and compare them to camps:
BEDS: A camp bed might look like a flattened cardboard box, a tent with blankets inside, a tarp fastened between two trees, or a framed wooden shack with furniture inside. People usually sleep in a certain spot for good reasons. Maybe it's next to a free clinic that only accepts walk-ins at 7:30am. Maybe it's so deep in the woods that their abusive ex-boyfriend won't find them. Maybe they trust the other campers sharing the space and feel safe enough to close their eyes without getting robbed.
All this is the say, people are intentional about making a bed where they feel safe, and often have a hard time replacing blankets and tents when they're damaged. So before you tell someone to move their bed during a camp closure, ask two questions: 1) Do you have another spot where you feel safe? and 2) If we had to throw away your stuff, do you have a way of replacing it? If either of the answers are no, case managers need to talk further with the client.
If there are no shelter beds available and the client loses everything in the sweep, offer new sleep items once the sweep is completed. Most agencies don't have a budget for blankets or tents, so I prepare by asking for item donations from community partners such as churches, local businesses, or kindly individuals.
If clients can't think of a secondary sleep spot right away, ask them what neighborhoods they're familiar with. Stress parts of town where they won't get in trouble for sleeping outdoors (usually areas with undeveloped forest). If they're not Atlanta natives, I'll show them the forested areas on a map.
It's important that clients be able to stay in touch with service providers. If there aren't available shelter beds, or clients don't feel safe in a shelter, your next best option during a sweep is to send them into the woods where they will attract less attention and maintain contact with case managers once the sweep is completed.
TOILETS: The more organized camps have designated toilet areas. This can take many forms. It can be an agreed-upon ditch where everyone goes to void, or a bucket behind a tarp. Less savory options include pee-bottles, plastic bags filled with feces and slung high into tree branches, or clients openly relieving themselves right outside a tent until the ground is squishy with urine.
Prepare by wearing sturdy close-toed shoes that can immediately be tossed in a washing machine afterwards. Wear disposable gloves in case you have to help clients pack items in bags or camp pets run up to be petted, since you don't know what the dogs or cats have been rolling in. You will make friends by offering maxi pads and rolls of toilet paper.
The smell can be eye-watering. If it becomes overwhelming, wear a mask, provide trash bags, and ask the client if they're able to pack their belongings alone. If that's not an option, talk to an able-bodied camper and ask if they can assist their less able campmates in packing.
SHOWERS: It is very difficult to stay clean in a camp. If you're too far from a public shower or a friend's house, baby wipes are the method of choice. It's not uncommon for campers to wear the same clothes for days or even weeks, and then trashing them for a new set because it's easier to get donated clothing than to wash it. Used clothing often gets tossed on the ground to provide traction for muddy footpaths.
TRASH: The more orderly camps have a rigorous trash system to sort out items that can be scrapped for money. You may see bags or shopping carts filled with tin cans, auto parts, or other metal objects. Clients may build large bonfires of electrical conduit to get to the copper wiring. This is a potential source of income, and must be acknowledged in case the client wishes to hold onto it.
Some camps use trash to create a carpet on steep slopes, so be sure to wear shoes or boots with thick treads to avoid slipping, broken glass, rats, and snakes.
Hoarding trash is also common. Clients who were traumatized by poverty are compelled to keep everything they come across, even if it appears to be useless. I have found that clients are afraid of waste, and will relinquish trash if they think it's being donated to a worthy cause.
Outreach workers should bring contractor trash bags to the camp, in case clients want to transport items with sharp edges. If they refuse shelter on the grounds that they're only allowed to bring one bag, negotiate storage space with a partner agency (often churches will store someone's belongings for a period), ask the client if they are willing to pay for a storage unit, or ask the client if they know a spot where they can safely stash the remaining items.
SECURITY: The most common forms of security in camps are guns and dogs. Guns are not common to all Atlanta camps, but they are out there. They are usually used for intimidating other homeless. If someone shows you their gun in a non-aggressive manner, thank them for being honest with you and that you're not there to get them in trouble. If someone points a gun at you or anyone else in the camp, leave the scene and call 911.
Dogs are extremely common in camps, both for security and companionship. Pack along kibble in case of aggressive dogs, they are often malnourished.
CASE MANAGEMENT: There are no desks in the woods. It is not uncommon for case managers to sit on logs, upended shopping carts, the lip of a bridge, or a sidewalk to fill out papers. Wear pants you can toss in the wash or pack a towel to sit on.
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Not every camp will be near a road. If someone has a medical emergency at the bottom of a ravine and can't walk to the ambulance, EMTs may have to wait for firefighters to arrive and transport that person. This can take hours. If a camper is incapacitated but not so injured that moving them will make matters worse, ask the other campers if they can assist with carrying them to the ambulance.
If you're on the phone with 911 and unsure of how to describe your location, leave someone with the injured client while you walk to the road. Once you know a street name or landmark, stay in that spot so you can wave down the EMTs and lead them to the camp site.
Some campers walk around with extensive injuries, but insist they don't need medical attention. This is often due to traumatic hospital experiences or the fear of being arrested in the ER. If someone refuses care, and is able to feed themselves, sleep at night, and move out of harm's way, you can leave them alone for the time being.
If someone poses a risk to themselves or others, you may call 911 and request an involuntary committal or 1013 (ten thirteen). This includes intentions to commit suicide, (ask them if they have a plan, place, time, and method of doing so, ex. "On Saturday morning I will take these sleeping pills."), homicide, extreme malnutrition, or extreme lack of hygiene (ex. if they defecate in their clothes or have feces on the palms of their hands). A 1013 call doesn't guarentee that the hospital will keep them for very long, much less get them the long-term care they need, but sometimes you get lucky.
HEAT AND LIGHT: Fires are a safety issue in homeless camps. Some camps burn trash for lack of dumpsters or because black smoke discourages mosquitoes. They are often the only source of light at night and give campers a sense of security. Encourage campers to keep fires contained in metal 5-gallon or 55-gallon barrels, never bring flames into their tents, keep mylar blankets in the winter, and if possible have a fire exstinguisher handy.
OTHER RESOURCES: Sweeps are incredibly stressful for campers. Any little show of empathy means a lot to them. Be nice to their pets. Offer cigarettes. If you have to wake them early in the morning, bring coffee and donuts. And above all, assure them that they won't be forgotten once the sweep is completed.