City workers have cleared a sprawling homeless encampment located under the FDR Drive on Manhattan's East Side, leaving behind a scene described as a garbage dump with scattered belongings and trash. Residents and local business workers expressed frustration, noting that such cleanups have been temporary, with individuals from the encampment often relocating to nearby areas and re-establishing shelters.
Dina Elkan, senior director of events at Solar One, voiced skepticism about the long-term impact of the cleanup, stating, "It's not just about over here. They have to check all the way down to make sure that people haven’t just relocated." She added that encampments can reform rapidly, sometimes within the same day.
The encampment, situated near 23rd Street, had been a persistent issue for weeks. Matthew Condah, an employee at a nearby BP gas station, described the area as resembling a "living room" for the homeless individuals, who often sought resources from the station, causing disruptions. "But for the past two weeks, they’ve always been there," he said.
This East Side encampment is one of several that have emerged across New York City in recent months. Previous reports have detailed large encampments near the Intrepid Museum on the West Side, where occupants were reportedly stealing electricity and engaging in illegal activities, and another in Queens near City Field, which featured mobile homes and trailers.
Liz Parades, a worker at Solar One, described the cyclical nature of the encampments and cleanups. "So, it happens instantly," she said, referring to the speed at which new encampments can form after existing ones are cleared. "The cadence is this: You set up your encampment, somebody needs to report it, somebody needs to respond to that report. Then there’s a seven-day warning period during which you can figure out where you’re gonna shift to."
Critics point to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's policy for addressing encampments, which notably excludes the NYPD from initial response efforts. Instead, city outreach workers are given a week to engage with individuals before sanitation workers and police are authorized to clear the sites. This approach, according to observers, has often resulted in the displacement of encampments rather than their permanent resolution, with individuals frequently returning to cleared areas or establishing new ones nearby. The policy aims to provide a window for social services engagement before enforcement actions are taken.
