SPRINGFIELD — It took months of work, but the city of Springfield said it finished removing what it called a health and safety concern.
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Tom Gates’ family has been in the glass business for 78 years.
They’ve had this office in Springfield for nearly half that time.
“This location since April 1st of ’87,” Gates said.
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From this location, he had a crystal clear view of the homeless encampment that was right across the railroad tracks.
“It had been building up for a couple of years,” Gates said. “People in and out of the woods, they made trails, so you’d see them pretty much on a day-to-day basis.”
Lately, he’d watched city workers clearing it out.
“Crews come in and clean the vegetation, overgrowth, just to open it up more, clean it up,” he said.
News Center 7 has been following the on-and-off work to clean up the encampment in the area of Perry Street and North Bechtle Avenue..
The work started in May.
The city said the clean-up in Snyder Park wrapped up in July and was not the full-time focus of these city workers over those three months.
“It’s very much appreciated. I’m certain that the other businesses in the area appreciate it also, but it looks a lot better,” Gates said.
Springfield spent a little more than $6,700 in federal money on the project.
The city said none of that money came from its general fund.
From his shop, Gates says he can also see that the homeless people who used to live here need help.
“The city should do as much as they can to help remediate that issue,” Gates said.
The city said it’s currently working on long-term solutions with the community:
“Addressing homelessness requires a collaborative effort,” Logan Cobbs, Director of Community Development in Springfield, said. “Local governments, nonprofits, service providers, and the community all have a role to play. We all must work together to find lasting solutions. No single entity can solve the problem alone. While immediate action, like supporting individuals in encampments, is important, we must also focus on long-term solutions such as increasing affordable housing, providing more mental health resources, and building a more resilient support system for those at risk of homelessness. That’s what we, as a community, are currently working on.”
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