Homeless people encamped on River Street along the Chehalis River in Aberdeen are on the move again after property owner Michael Lang asked the city to take action against the squatters.
Police and a cleanup crew hired by Lang were at the site Monday. Advocates were attempting to seek a legal way to stop expulsion but hadn’t yet found an answer, they said Tuesday.
Some people living there packed up what they could and left. But clergy acting on behalf of the campers said Lang relented and ultimately decided to allow the people time to pack up and move on at a more relaxed pace.
However, said Val Metropoulos, pastor with Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, most of the people have nowhere to go. Lang’s land was a haven for the homeless last year until city officials moved squatters out.
“But they came back here pretty quick,” Metropoulos said.
And adjacent riverside property owner, Rognlin’s Inc., last month asked homeless campers to vacate so they could improve the condition of the site it recently acquired. It has since been bulldozed and cleanup is ongoing.
Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson was scheduled to meet late Tuesday with local homeless advocates and others interested in seeking a short-term solution and discuss long-term strategies to address the needs of the homeless population — especially accommodations.
“Obviously, they can’t be on private property. We can’t force property owners to allow them on their private property,” Larson said. “But they will still exist. If not on that property, then somewhere else.”
The topic is expected to arise during tonight’s City Council meeting as well, according to Metropoulos and Rev. Sarah Monroe of Chaplains on the Harbor in Westport.
Metropoulos said she’s heard from people who spend a great deal of time with riverfront campers who estimate there are up to 75 people there at the moment. There were about 130 people out there only a few weeks ago.
“It’s an ongoing situation, something that needs to be addressed,” Larson also said. “We understand the humanitarian situation, but we need to enforce the law equally around the city.”
