by Tracy Brannstrom, The Montpelier Bridge

[VDC Editor’s note: The Bridge, the longtime, free, community newspaper for Montpelier and surrounding towns, dedicated most of its November 4-17 issue to the problem of local homelessness. The lead story appears below.  Click here to see editor Cassandra Hemenway’s lead commentary.]

Complaints from residents and property owners prompted Montpelier officials to order at least seven camps on public land cleared last month, citing violations of the city’s encampment policy. Those involved in addressing homelessness locally described the orders as part of a larger cycle of displacement, with people repeatedly told to move but left with few alternatives.

City staff members had left multiple notices at campsites beginning Oct. 1, alerting campers they would need to relocate, followed by a final notice on Oct. 21 informing campers that a cleanup crew would return the following day. When staff members returned, they found two people sleeping in a tent at one of the sites, and police arrested them on outstanding warrants, according to City Manager Kelly McNicholas Kury.

Notices were issued to seven camps in total; five on Stone Cutters Way — at Turntable Park and along the bike path near Hunger Mountain Co-op — plus plus two at Blanchard Park, a violation of Montpelier’s encampment policy where camps were within 50 feet of private property or interfering with park use. Matthew Jelacic, the city’s development specialist, said two of the sites appeared to have been abandoned.

Jelacic helped post notices at camps on Oct 21. He said the same people are often told to move repeatedly, despite a lack of longer-term housing options. He described the situation as “a perpetual crisis.”

Simon Jennings, a staff member at Another Way, echoed that sentiment. “It’s just, kind of this cycle. There’s no solution to it. It’s just, you have to move, and then you move somewhere else, and then it’s the same thing.”

Jennings said Another Way distributed trash bags to help campers pack their belongings and bring them onto the organization’s property, which backs onto Stone Cutters Way. He said he helped one person who couldn’t pack because of health issues and described the clearances as upsetting and traumatic for campers.

“Staff would not describe the scene as chaotic,” McNicholas Kury said. “They [the campers] were allowed ample time to collect their belongings and sort any items they would like the city to dispose of.”

Since January, the city ordered an estimated 29 camps — a tent or group of tents — to relocate from public land, eight of which required cleanup after people did not leave, according to McNicholas Kury. The city does not track how many people were displaced. She oversees the process herself, visiting camps to assess sites and issue relocation notices, typically in response to complaints from residents and property owners.

On Stone Cutters Way, property owners, people who use the public area, and several city departments complained about camps along the street, she said. Montpelier Police Department incident logs show at least 21 incidents there in October, including patrols prompted by “community concerns.”

McNicholas Kury said police officers accompany city staff members on some camp visits but remain in the background, providing support if safety concerns arise or a trespass notice is needed. “We’re not criminalizing homelessness,” she said.

The city’s encampment policy generally directs the staff to leave camps on city-owned land alone, but calls for intervention when a site is deemed a “high-sensitivity area” because of potential health, safety, or environmental risks. Criteria include camps within 50 feet of private property, unless the adjoining owner consents; obstructions to sidewalks, bike lanes, or emergency access; fire hazards; and interference with parks or environmentally sensitive areas.

Under the city’s policy, usable belongings collected during camp cleanups are stored for at least 30 days in a locked container on the city’s Country Club Road property. The container currently holds just one bag, containing a tarp, sleeping bag, and shirt collected from the Blanchard Park playground on July 2. To retrieve their belongings, people must coordinate with an outreach worker from local shelter provider Good Samaritan Haven.

The city’s response also includes efforts to connect campers with services. When people are present, McNicholas Kury said, she provides referrals to local resources and may refer cases to the county’s Situation Table, where service providers coordinate responses to people facing complex challenges.

The notices posted to camps include a one-page “Survival Guide” from Washington County Mental Health Services, listing phone numbers for crisis lines, police departments, state agencies, and community service providers. It offers self-care advice, including to eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and “take time to do nothing; just relax.”

But access to services, including even short-term shelter, remains limited.

Changes to the state’s emergency motel voucher program in September have created new barriers for people seeking shelter, according to discussion at an Oct. 19 meeting of Montpelier’s homelessness committee, where members described difficulties completing applications by phone, particularly for people without phones or with limited help navigating the process.

Meanwhile, local providers are also working to meet winter shelter needs. The city is developing its own emergency options, including 12 beds in the city hall basement, and exploring other possibilities such as construction trailers.

For those who cannot find shelter indoors, Montpelier has no designated public space where camping is permitted. City officials and the city council discussed establishing a public campground last July but abandoned the plan after a local organizer withdrew, saying efforts to reach an agreement with the city had stalled.

Access to storage where unhoused people can keep their belongings, such as tents and other gear, also remains a challenge. The city staff considered renovating lockers behind the recreation center on Barre Street, but found that items inside were wet, indicating the lockers weren’t weatherproof. The city then explored covered, waterproof lockers, but quotes were too expensive, Jelacic said.

“We face some really tough barriers out there,” said Homelessness Committee Chair Zach Hughes at the Oct. 19 meeting, where members cited an estimate from Another Way Executive Director Ken Russell that 75 people could be living outside in Montpelier this winter.