Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
LOWELL, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The city of Lowell is clearing out a homeless encampment that's been set up outside of a dog park for years.
The encampment behind the Centralville Dog Park has been around for around a decade and had about 20 or so people living there at the time of the sweep by the city. Robert Waylein, who has been living in the encampment for 11 years told WBZ's James Rojas the city told residents on June 23 they would have to leave by Sunday. By Monday, the city started clearing tents.
Waylein said the city did not provide enough local housing for displaced residents.
"They have three beds in Lowell and they want to ship us to other towns," Waylein said. "They don't want to keep us here."
Homeless advocates are furious about the city clearing the encampment. Felix Brown with the advocate group Lifting Lowellians: Assistance and Mutual Aid said he believes the evictions are illegal because the city did not offer enough local housing options for the residents.
"There is no local housing for all of the residents of this dog park encampment to be placed within," Brown said. "They mentioned there were 10 beds in Worcester but once again that is not local housing so this eviction is illegal."
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However, some locals that use the dog park said clearing the encampment was long overdue.
"A lot of people won't come here because they're afraid of all the tents and stuff back there," one resident said.
The Lowell Department of Public Works Commissioner declined to comment on the evictions. WBZ NewsRadio has reached out to the Lowell City Manager for comment.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports.
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