Heartbreaking: Rats are responsible for Harrisburg’s decision to clean up homeless encampment without any formal plan for people

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Harrisburg residents living under the Mulberry Street Bridge have a week to pack up all their belongings and permanently vacate the area due to a public health emergency involving rats and piles of trash, city officials said.

The situation below deck reached a breaking point about two weeks ago, when sanitation workers carrying out twice-weekly cleaning were nearly bitten by large rats jumping out of trash cans and dumpsters, according to Director of Public Works Dave West. As a result, workers haven’t returned to pick up trash for a week.

It is a very dangerous and dangerous situation under the Mulberry Street Bridge, he said. It will only get worse if we do nothing about it.

City spokesman Matt Maisel said the area around the Mulberry Street Bridge over the past two months has seen an increase in violent crime, including rapes, stabbings and shootings.

People living under the bridge have until Thursday, January 19 to leave the area with all their belongings. A decision on what to do with people who refuse to leave will be made once the situation arises, according to Maisel.

City officials said about 50 to 65 people live below the bridge, but some of those residents have alternative housing options available to them. Those not directed to overnight shelters, which have not yet reached full capacity this winter. Residents are allowed to stay in overnight shelters from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Some day services are also available, but there is no designated area for people to store their belongings once they exit from below deck. Municipal authorities are asking residents to pack their belongings so that their most important items can be transported.

We devote an enormous amount of time, energy and resources to serving this population and we were all really grappling with this decision, said Randie Yeager of the Capitol Area Coalition on Homelessness.

West said a thorough cleaning and remediation of the area below the bridge will begin as soon as residents disperse. This process should take 2448 hours.

Maisel said the decision to force residents out from under the bridge was heartbreaking to make, but had to be made to protect the health of the homeless population and other residents of the city.

We want to emphasize that this is the last thing anyone wants to do. These are decisions that affect people’s lives, Maisel said. However, they were facing a public health emergency.

Residents will not be permitted to return to the Mulberry Street Bridge area once it has been cleared. Maisel said police will patrol the area after the deep cleanup to enforce the new rules.

We hope people will follow the order, he said. The simple fact of the matter is maybe they won’t.

It is unclear whether residents of the Mulberry Street Bridge will migrate to the encampment near the PennDOT building near Front Street.

All of our encampments must be safe for everyone involved, Yeager said.

An increase in the number of residents seeking shelter has created the city’s largest homeless population in years, Yeager said. She said skyrocketing rents are a significant hurdle.

City officials said Mayor Wanda Williams is working with city council and the law firm to try to pass legislation that will create additional affordable housing options in Harrisburg.

Maisel said the city has also had preliminary discussions about a semi-permanent solution for where residents of the Mulberry Street Bridge can go. Additional details on those discussions were not immediately available.

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