ST. LOUIS — Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is defending her decision to clear a homeless encampment outside City Hall this week, and blaming activists for slowing things down.
Under fire from advocates who decried the sweep as inhumane and unnecessary, Jones on Wednesday said the camp, which boasted more than 30 tents in its final days, was a public health hazard.
“We saw drug dealing, we saw drug using and people defecating on the City Hall grass,†she said. â€And that is not safe. It’s not healthy. And it’s not a good look for the city of St. Louis.â€
She also said the city’s attempt to remove the encampment late Monday, without the customary 10-day notice, shouldn’t have been a surprise. Activists and progressive aldermen Rasheen Aldridge, of Downtown, and Alisha Sonnier, of Tower Grove East, said they were caught off-guard and questioned where people were supposed to go at a time when many shelters are already booked up.
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But Jones said the city had been reaching out to the campers for weeks, telling them they were going to enforce the curfew and offering help getting into shelter before it happened.
The problem on Monday, she said, is that officials told everyone else and activists came down and got in the way of the city providing services. When they and the aldermen refused to leave, the clearing was postponed for a day before it was ultimately cleared Tuesday.
“Where were they over the last two months while these people were sitting on City Hall’s front lawn?†Jones asked of activists. “Where were they?â€
Gloria Koonce, 70, leaves her new home Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at the Jefferson Spaces Tiny Homes in St. Louis. Koonce said she lived in the homeless camp outside St. Louis City Hall for three weeks after losing her housing due to issues with her landlord. She was offered a spot at the tiny homes when the camp was cleared this week. "This is a blessing," Koonce said. "First time I've had sleep in over a month."
Activists bristled at the criticism.
Audra Youmans, a volunteer with the advocacy group Tent Mission STL, said the organization’s volunteers were at the camp every week distributing resources.
And she said if the city had actually done its job and offered services campers wanted, they would have left long before. At least a handful of people living at the camp had refused to go to shelters that required splitting up from a partner or pets.
“Mayor Jones has made her position very clear,†Youmans said. “These are not the people she supports and these are not the people she is here to help.â€
“She’s on defense because we hit the nail on the head,†added the Rev. Larry Rice, the prominent homeless advocate who spent weeks delivering blankets and tents to people in the encampment before the Jones administration ordered it cleared Monday night.
“She made a rash decision,†he said. “And all she did was cause sleep deprivation.â€
Photos: St. Louis City Hall homeless tent camp is gone, residents scattered
The Rev. Larry Rice prays with Gino McCoy, who is living in the tent camp in front of St. Louis City Hall with his pregnant wife and three dogs, as tent residents were threatened with eviction on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. McCoy, originally from Phoenix, arrived in St. Louis three weeks ago.
“Shame on you Madam Mayor,†yells activist Anthony Cage as he shouts toward St. Louis City Hall as homeless people living in tent camps were threatened with eviction on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
Kathy Cash eats Chinese food as her dog, Izzy, grabs a container for himself as she waits for city workers to evict members of a tent camp on the grounds of City Hall on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. “They treat us like animals,†said Cash.
St. Louis police officers move through the tent camp in front of St. Louis city hall on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, second left, is joined by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge as they announce an agreement with the city that the tent camp in front of St. Louis City Hall would remain for one more day on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Aldridge said that the city would work with camp residents to help find shelter later Tuesday morning.
Tents remain at the camp in front of St. Louis City Hall as an agreement was made early Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 that the city would allow one more night of camping before helping residents find shelter.
McCray sleeps after packing up his tent, waiting to be evicted from the tent camp in front of St. Louis City Hall on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.Â
Kathy Cash hugs her husband, Kamm Hayes, as she prepares to leave a tent camp outside City Hall before city workers were to arrive to dismantle the camp on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
Pigeons swoop through the sky as the sun rises over the St. Louis skyline on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Rufus Williams, 32, center, has a seat near the tents pitched outside of St. Louis City Hall as the sun rises on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Hours earlier police were attempting to remove people from the land saying it violated park curfew ordinance. Police eventually left the encampment and gave the protesters 24 hours to leave. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Rufus Williams, 32, center, picks up trash around the tents pitched outside of St. Louis City Hall as the sun rises on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Hours earlier police were attempting to remove people from the land saying it violated park curfew ordinance. Police eventually left the encampment and gave the protesters 24 hours to leave. "If they offer me a hotel room today, I'm going to take it today. Until they I'm staying right here. I just want everyone to get some help. I don't want a handout" said Rufus who went on to say he has lived at the encampment for months. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
A sign posted near tents at a homeless encampment outside St. Louis City Hall says the people in the tents are expressing their First Amendment rights by protesting the lack of shelter in the city by camping out as seen on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Erika Smith, left, talks about problems she had accessing services for homeless residents with Adam Pearson, Director of the Department of Human Services for the city of St. Louis after a press conference in St. Louis on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Pearson gave his business card to Smith and asked her check in with him the next time she attempts to access help from his department. Smith says she has been homeless for four months. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Tent camp resident Milton W. Turner heads out for food while taking a break from sweeping up outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. By late afternoon almost every tent had been removed from the makeshift camp with some residents finding space in area shelters. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Aldermen Rasheen Aldridge and Alisha Sonnier help remove tents from a homeless camp outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. By late afternoon almost every tent had been removed from the makeshift camp with some residents finding space in area shelters. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
“It's overwhelming,†said tent camp resident Gino McCoy as he takes a break from taking down his tents with the help of Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, right, outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. McCoy and his wife, Hadah, were given one of the tiny homes for shelter, where they were able to keep one of their three dogs. The other two dogs will be fostered until the McCoys find more permanent housing.
The Rev. Larry Rice takes down a sign as members of the city of St. Louis Forestry Division begin to take down tents at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall.Â
Christopher Perry packs up a tent as members of the City of St. Louis Forestry Division clear a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
“We're back to the shelters, back to square one again,†said William Clay as he takes apart his tents outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. “It's got to stop with this mayor. The way she went about things last night, that wasn't leadership. She's not my mayor.â€
City of St. Louis Forestry Commissioner Alan Jankowski clears a tent at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Gino McCoy fills out paperwork to apply for the Save Our Sons Urban League program, which will provide services such as employment, at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Angela Kellum climbs in a Department of Human Services van as her luggage is loaded in the back at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Kellum said she had been staying in the camp for a few weeks. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Milton Turner yells to members of the City of St. Louis Forestry Division as they gather to clear out tents at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Brock Seals drops off luggage at a homeless encampment on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, outside St. Louis City Hall. Seals, an artist, said he had luggage left over from one of his art pieces and decided to donate it after its completion. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis City Alderman Rasheen Aldridge checks on a tent camp resident as Alan Jankowski, commissioner of the Forestry Division, removes a tent outside city hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. By late afternoon almost every tent had been removed from the makeshift camp with some residents finding space in area shelters. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Tent camp resident Gino McCoy gets support from Drew Falvey, left, as he says a tearful goodbye to his dogs Paco and Chapo, right, before leaving for a tiny home with his wife Hadah and their pregnant dog Gia outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Residents of the tiny homes are only allowed one animal. Paco and Chapo were taken to CARE STL, the Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis, until the McCoys could find more permanent housing. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
City parks workers placed barricades around St. Louis City Hall property after homeless people living in tents were either offered shelter or left the grounds on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
