Was the Government Right to Evict Tent City Residents? [EDITORIAL]

Tent cities have become a popular way for homeless populations to find community and shelter in metropolitan areas in recent years. 

After Hurricane Katrina, many affected residents were relocated to tent cities for a semi-permanent solution to the crisis. Camp Hope in Las Cruces, New Mexico is a thriving city-supported tent city that has been used as a solution to homelessness in the city. Skid Row is a well-known tent city in Los Angeles that has over 4,000 occupants. 

In Milwaukee, a tent city popped up in early 2018 under the Interstate 94 and Interstate 41 overpass. While homelessness is nothing new to Milwaukee residents, this tent city was, and it surprised a lot of people. 

In early October, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued an eviction notice to the over 90 residents of tent city, which was to be evacuated by Halloween. So, was it right for the state to issue this notice to the growing population of tent city?

While many view this as a cold or insensitive order, we believe that it was the right thing to do for the safety of the inhabitants of the tent city community. For the wellbeing of the residents, hopefully in the long term, it is important to relocate the homeless to indoor housing, especially with the cold weather already upon us.

The Milwaukee County Housing Division and many community outreach groups have worked hard over the past month to find housing indoors, and they say that they are trying to permanently place residents in housing by providing vouchers and move-in starter packets.

Many argue that these people had a home in tent city, and relocating them is tearing apart the community and comradery that homeless people often lack. While homeless people need to be heard and loved to help with recovery, there are safer ways to establish a sense of community and love without being exposed to harsh weather and conditions. 

Along the same lines, many believe that the government is being harsh, and some believe that they have exterior motives for evicting tent city, such as the upcoming Democratic National Convention. But no matter the motives of the state, it is important to realize that the safety of the homeless population is the number one concern of the community, and evicting tent city is helping to eliminate that concern. 

While the government has its focus elsewhere, the homeless population is a huge concern in Milwaukee, and more resources are necessary to really make a lasting effect on the issue in the city. However, the community and outreach programs are helping as best as they can to make improvements on the city, including finding safe housing for tent city inhabitants. 

In September of 2018, there were dozens of tents set up in tent city, and almost all of the residents were evacuated to temporary housing by the end of winter to shelter them from the cold. These tents reappeared when the weather cleared, so now it is up to the community and state government to find a more permanent solution to keeping these residents off the street, and keeping tent city from rebuilding.