HARRISBURG, Pa. — Piles of trash litter the grounds near a homeless encampment behind PennDOT’s Harrisburg offices, along South Front Street. The issue caused several people to lodge complaints about the trash and people living in the area.
“I don’t like it when our folks get a bad rap," said Aisha Mobley, the outreach coordinator for Christian Churches United. "They really are trying and they are doing the best they can with what they have.”
Mobley works directly with people struggling with homelessness in Harrisburg. She said the encampment along the Capital Area Greenbelt is not responsible for the piles of trash and added the people living there work to keep their site clean.
“Our folks that are out there are very communal, very grateful, and do their best to keep that area as clean as you can when you’re outside," said Mobley.
A spokesman with the City of Harrisburg released a statement, citing illegal dumping by people outside of the area as a reason for the excess trash and not from an increase in homeless people.
“They’re not going to dump a pile of mattresses; they don’t have a pile of mattresses," said Mobley. "They don’t have a pile of tires to dump a pile of tires, they don’t have a stockpile of TVs, and those are things that we have found in the encampments that show up.”
Mobley said efforts to organize a cleanup of the affected areas are underway. She added the issue highlights the need to find stable housing for people in need.
“Again, it comes back to housing, availability, and that keyword we all love: affordability," Mobley told FOX43.