It is refreshing for a mayor to actually talk about clearing up the problem instead of pussyfooting around the issue and placating the Josh Spring's of the world. This is what happens in many other big cities and it is good to see Cranley is taking a tough stand.

Homeless file lawsuit against the city: 'Do the right thing' says homeless coalition leader

 

The homeless living on Third Street say they aren’t going anywhere today.

 

The people living in the tent city filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday asking for relief from a city-scheduled cleanup.

 

The lawsuit claims the city breaks constitutional law by evicting the homeless from Third Street and throwing away belongings.

 

Cont

Update: A judge denied a motion for a restraining order against the city filed by residents of the Third Street homeless camp, according to Josh Spring, CEO Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition.

Good.  Go away Josh

I guess Josh Spring is the reincarnation of Buddy Gray.

From WCPO on Twitter:

 

Some tents relocated around the corner as city cleans area of homeless camp on Third Street http://bit.ly/2vAy1fZ

That's an even worse spot.  Now they're in the way for the thousands that walk to and from the banks garage for work everyday.  Not to mention people walking to the Reds games from downtown, people walking to the banks for lunch and dinner, people walking to the park, ect.  What a horrible look for the city.  They need to get them out permanently. 

And just like that, all tents, save for one that moved down by Great American Tower, have returned to where they were prior to the “clean-up.”

It is going to be a battle for a while, but if the city keeps giving them 72 hour notices, enough of them will get frustrated and just go somewhere else where they will not be harassed.

FWW has been there in this configuration for 18 years.  This is the first time we've seen tents on the overpasses, so it looks a bit like a set-up. 

 

I remember when homeless people used to live in the overgrown bushes along the south side of 3rd St. when the old FWW was there, but it was only 2-3 people. 

The 72 hour notices are pretty pointless because when the clock winds down, all that happens is the city comes in, picks up trash, and pressure washes the sidewalks. They don't stick around to monitor the area and keep people from simply moving back in, so the tents are put back up almost immediately. This happened a few times at the Plum Street underpass before the city finally put up the fence to keep people out - a strategy that won't work on 3rd, and probably won't work long term for the underpass as I'm sure the Bengals will want it open when the season starts. Unless the city is willing to ticket/arrest people who set up camps on public rights of way, the camps aren't going anywhere.

unfortunately a judge says you need the 72 hour notice, so you have to do that. Arresting them does not help. The only way is to continue to frustrate them until they give up.

^ They have to give 72 hour notice before they clear out the camps, the problem is they give the notice but don't go through with clearing out out the camps - they just clean up and let everyone come back. The camp is already set up again, hours after the alleged deadline. This doesn't frustrate the campers, it's more like complimentary maid services.

 

After the initial notice, the city should be able to remove tents at will indefinitely.

Judge denies homeless camp's motion to stay on Third Street

 

A federal district court judge on Friday denied a request by the residents of a homeless camp on Third Street downtown to stop the city from kicking them out.

 

The residents of the tent city set up along Third Street downtown filed a lawsuit on Aug. 3 in the Southern District of Ohio against the city of Cincinnati, asking the court to halt a planned removal of the homeless on Friday. Judge Timothy Black Friday afternoon denied a motion for injunctive relief that would have halted the removal.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/08/03/judge-denies-homeless-camps-motion-to-stay-on.html

If  this happened in Indian Hill do they also have to get 72 hours notice???

^ Don't know, don't care. It wouldn't happen in Indian Hill because they know how to make the problem go away without anyone knowing it in Indian Hill.

 

 

In all serious, it does not happen in Indian Hill because it is not a population center with people walking by all the time. There is not the transportation or other means to get there along with other logistical challenges. That is why you never see it in Indian Hill.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/06/cincinnati-homeless-deters-file-suit-remove-homeless-camp-downtown/912727002/

 

Deters is trying to get a civil nuisance lawsuit passed where it will be illegal for a camp to exist downtown "south of Central Parkway to the river, east of Interstate 75 and west of Eggleston Drive."  He claims that HIV positive needles have been found at the camp, as well as human waste and urination.  If true then I don't see how a judge could disagree with the camps being a threat to the health and public safety of residents.  Hopefully he can get this passed/approved and we can get the camps moved out permanently. 

 

 

Judge rules Cincinnati homeless camps must go

 

A Greater Cincinnati judge has granted a temporary restraining order that calls for downtown’s homeless camps to be closed.

 

Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Ruehlman granted the restraining order on Monday afternoon after Prosecutor Joe Deters filed a civil nuisance lawsuit asking to remove the Third Street homeless camp and prevent others from popping up.

 

A full hearing on the request has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 20.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/08/06/judge-rules-cincinnati-homeless-camps-must-go.html

Lots of homeless tent have popped up in the small park between Reading and Central across the street from the casino.

Lots of homeless tent have popped up in the small park between Reading and Central across the street from the casino.

 

I guess being less than a block away from the jail will make it easier when they're inevitably locked up.

 

On the flip side Third Street was cleared this morning.

You knew that was going to happen.  I'm willing to bet Josh Spring is telling them each time where to setup the new camp.  I'm not sure why Deters wanted to make Central the north end of the no camps zone, now he's just going to piss off the casino and all the people/businesses in OTR and Pendleton.  He should have made the line Liberty or McMiken. 

 

Also there were still plenty of tents on 3rd St this morning.  We'll see if they move out today or if they stay and continue to fight.  If they don't leave hopefully they stop babying the situation and just arrest them. 

I just dropped off my daughter at a daycare around 8am this morning on Third and Walnut and I didn't see a single tent.

I just dropped off my daughter at a daycare around 8am this morning on Third and Walnut and I didn't see a single tent.

I know that's where most of them were but I can't see that area while walking to work.  There were still 5-10 of them on 3rd between Race and Elm around 7:45.  Good to hear they're in the process of clearing them out though. 

The camp by lytle tunnel under 71 was still going strong at 830 am. They are suppose to be moved out as well.

You knew that was going to happen.  I'm willing to bet Josh Spring is telling them each time where to setup the new camp.  I'm not sure why Deters wanted to make Central the north end of the no camps zone, now he's just going to piss off the casino and all the people/businesses in OTR and Pendleton.  He should have made the line Liberty or McMiken. 

 

So long as the city is only allowed to enforce the law in certain, specific areas, the camps will continue to relocate. The problem will perpetually be moved like a big game of whack-a-mole, and the Josh Spring's of the world will always be there to make sure the problem moves from one in-your-face location to another.

So now everyone is here on this traffic island?!?

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1084855,-84.5087762,3a,75y,121.3h,87.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMgDJYRpqW19bKl8mF4zZkw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

So now everyone is here on this traffic island?!?

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1084855,-84.5087762,3a,75y,121.3h,87.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMgDJYRpqW19bKl8mF4zZkw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

Yes

Did they take the streetcar?

I cant wait until city council cuts the funding to Josh Spring's organization for this clown show.

Anyone have an update on the Lytle tunnel encampment or Jack Casino one?

^ Deters went back to the court yesterday and extended the "no-tent zone" from the Ohio River to the Norwood Lateral, between 71 and 75. The first time I heard that I thought it was a joke because the border seems so arbitrary. So far I don't think the police have taken down the encampments, though - per the Enquirer:

 

"As of 9:45 a.m., tents were still up on Central Parkway and no police or sheriff's personnel were seen."

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/08/08/cincinnati-homeless-camp-jack-casino-move-police/928408002/

Yeah, I heard about the extension of the borders.  Has anyone walked by either Lytle Tunnel or Jack Casino yet today?

This was an informative listen from the beginning, but particularly revelant from -11.00 on. He mentions how there are two guys using this as a personal stand for themselves and disappear when the cameras are gone. We can speculate on who he means by the other but one is identified shortly after this clip starts. Hard issue all around but these people surely don't need to be pawns in other peoples quest for fame/recognition. 

 

They have removed the camp by the south entrance of Lytle Tunnel across from US Bank Arena.

Deters is finally looking to get rid of the tent-city enforcement boundaries and extend the ability to shut down the camps to the entire county:

 

Deters wants homeless ban for all of Hamilton County: 'They need to go to shelters'

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/08/09/homeless-ban-deters-wants-extended-all-hamilton-county/947325002/

 

 

Great news. It's hard to encourage surburban folk to try, "urban living" when the streets reek of piss, you can visually see human feces on the side walk from the homeless, and encounter constant harassment from the homeless to give, "change", and encounter multiple police visits a night to these said camps.

 

Good to see this city is finally growing a pair.

 

I know there needs to more affordable housing options. I understand that. But the majority of these homeless tent residents enjoy there way of life, and enjoy the fact that they can freely be on heroin and drink alcohol whenever they want. They enjoy that freedom.

 

I can't wait to see Josh Springs load these tent residents on a bus and plop them in Warren County on the streets of West Chester. It's gonna be hilarious!

 

Good to see Cranley and Deters taking a strong stance on this.  Trying to work with them or just ignoring the problem is how the west coast cities lost control of this issue.  If you don't want to go to a shelter and get help then find another city to live in. 

Good to see Cranley and Deters taking a strong stance on this.  Trying to work with them or just ignoring the problem is how the west coast cities lost control of this issue.  If you don't want to go to a shelter and get help then find another city to live in.

 

I'm sort of surprised there sticking around the cbd of cincy, and haven't simply jumped across the river to NKY...

Good to see Cranley and Deters taking a strong stance on this.  Trying to work with them or just ignoring the problem is how the west coast cities lost control of this issue.  If you don't want to go to a shelter and get help then find another city to live in.

 

I'm sort of surprised there sticking around the cbd of cincy, and haven't simply jumped across the river to NKY...

 

It wouldn't be in Josh Spring's interest to do that.  This is all about him.

While I like the strong stance, the ACLU will be all over blocking this.

I’m no legal expert. But how is it a Civil Liberty (ACLU) to live on the sidewalk (and some - not all - drinking and doing drugs on public land)? There are options to get job training and shelter. If you don’t want to contribute to society then you can’t expect people to come to the table to come to an agreement.

The court ruled in Deters favor, so tent cities are effectively banned county-wide. I've already seen local media and other dweebs on social media start to refer to this as a "homeless ban" so I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being national news within a few days. The Vox's and Huffington Post's of the world love these kinds of stories.

What determines what a "tent city" is? Will two tents make up a "tent city"?

The homeless camp has moved to a lot at 13th and Republic. At least this made the drug dealers move out.

The homeless camp has moved to a lot at 13th and Republic. At least this made the drug dealers move out.

The little grass area?  Not sure why they keep moving somewhere when they know they'll just get kicked out again.  If they find it to be the same people they're continuing to deal with they should arrest them.  And there were drug dealers there before?  I've walked by that area a bunch but maybe I just never noticed them. 

 

Little "parks" like that really serve no purpose and only attract negative things like homeless and drug activity.  Considering there's a real park less then 300 feet away they should develop that lot. 

The homeless camp has moved to a lot at 13th and Republic. At least this made the drug dealers move out.

The little grass area?  Not sure why they keep moving somewhere when they know they'll just get kicked out again.  If they find it to be the same people they're continuing to deal with they should arrest them.  And there were drug dealers there before?  I've walked by that area a bunch but maybe I just never noticed them. 

 

Little "parks" like that really serve no purpose and only attract negative things like homeless and drug activity.  Considering there's a real park less then 300 feet away they should develop that lot.

 

It's a privately owned park and they've been given permission by the owner to be there. And yes, drug dealers regularly congregate there.

I could be wrong but it appears the owner of that property does not live near there which is a pretty crappy way to help IMHO. I initially thought they lived nearby but did some googling.

I could be wrong but it appears the owner of that property does not live near there which is a pretty crappy way to help IMHO. I initially thought they lived nearby but did some googling.

 

It's owned by Over the Rhine Community Housing, which is on 14th Street. It's a three minute walk away according to Google maps.

I could be wrong but it appears the owner of that property does not live near there which is a pretty crappy way to help IMHO. I initially thought they lived nearby but did some googling.

 

It's owned by Over the Rhine Community Housing, which is on 14th Street. It's a three minute walk away according to Google maps.

 

Ahhh, thanks looks like my google power was off a bit. I'm sure the neighbors to the 'park' didn't expect that this was one of the ways it was going to be used though. It may be a place for a tent but it has the same problems that all the other places had, namely no bathrooms/showers/privacy or security.

There has to be a zoning/use violation here.  I can't believe that in an urban area that camping is permitted like this.  I really hope that the city no longer provides any funding for Over the Rhine Community Housing projects in the future after this.