Hundreds of letters sent to Grand Rapids City Commission condemning homeless encampment sweep
Updated Jan 12, 2021;
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City Clerk Joel Hondorp said the majority of the roughly 390 emails sent to city commissioners were copy-and-pasted letters from people demanding the city allow those experiencing homelessness to remain in encampments should individual housing not be available.
Their demand aligns with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on allowing encampments during the pandemic if “individual housing” isn’t available. Congregate shelter space is the only option available to the majority of single adults experiencing homelessness in Kent County.
“Our neighbors from the Heartside Park encampment are part of our community. City workers have treated them not like community members, but like garbage,” the emails state. “. We want to know who is responsible for the decision to send in city workers to violently tear apart this comm