UPDATE: Mayor John Cranley released a statement Friday afternoon:
“It is unacceptable that individuals and activists continue to illegally camp with tents in the right-of-way. This presents a clear and present health and safety hazard to homeless individuals and the general public. The city is working hard to end this. This afternoon, I also asked for and have obtained the assistance of Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters. Prosecutor Deters will be filing actions in state court and we will file motions in federal court. I thank Prosecutor Deters for his help in this matter. Together we will continue to pursue all strategies to end this unsafe practice. I ask for patience as we pursued appropriate court orders.”
***
ORIGINAL STORY:
(Cincinnati) - At this point the portion of Cincinnati’s homeless population living in a tent city on Third Street has to go somewhere else.
This afternoon a federal judge denied members in and supporting the camp an injunction for a restraining order against Cincinnati, which would’ve stopped the city from removing the tent city.
Cincinnati’s Vice Mayor says even once they move the camp they won’t be able to stop the homeless from setting up in the same area.
“What our city solicitor shared with me is that we cant stop somebody from coming back into the area,” Councilman Chris Smitherman said to 700WLW’s Bill Cunningham. “And then the process will begin again.”
Sam Landis with Maslow’s Army says they will be helping those experiencing homeless as they always do.
“We don’t endorse or oppose what’s going on down there,” Landis said. “We will continue to be down there and we will continue to try to help those individuals who are experiencing homelessness."