Homeless residents living in Columbus Park staged a protest against next Monday’s encampment sweep which will displace hundreds of people.
More than four dozen community activists and unhoused residents marched from St. James Park in downtown to City Hall on Tuesday, chanting “community engagement not abatement” and “homelessness is not a crime, folks are trying to survive.” They carried signs with slogans such as “Offer us housing.” Columbus Park residents, including an older adult, an individual with a disability and another from the LBGTQ+ community spoke at City Hall about the challenges they’ll face from the impending sweep.
Rain, a resident who has lived at Columbus Park for a year and a half, has a condition affecting her vision. She said her corneas are thinning, making it hard for her to see. Accessing services such as sanitation and doing other daily activities are difficult, she said.
She’s gotten used to navigating around Columbus Park, but not knowing where she will go next makes it harder with her disability…