Biddeford looks to mitigate rising complaints of needle waste, public encampments
BIDDEFORD — Williams Court Park was busy on a sunny October afternoon as nearly a dozen people, dressed in layers of mismatched clothing and toting carts full of their belongings, found refuge in the grass. It was clear that they were waiting to spend the night at Seeds of Hope, a nearby overnight shelter.
Across the street, a woman in a bright green shirt leaned against a stone wall, fiddling with what looked like a syringe. In the morning, volunteers at the nearby Biddeford Community Garden would find syringes just like it.
Managing needle waste and public camping has been one of the biggest problem areas in the city, General Assistance Administrator Jake Hammer said at a City Council meeting Tuesday.
Related
Biddeford, Saco chosen for national homeless response network
“We’re trying to figure out how we use the resources we have already to pinpoint this area,” he said.
Residents say they’re seeing an increase in encampments, trash and needle waste, and some are taking to social media and city meetings to complain.
Since July, the police department has responded to 45 calls to the park for issues like drug complaints, disturbances, suspicious activity and trespassing. Over the same time period, the city’s code enforcement compliance officer has responded to encampments over 50 times.
Advertisement
Williams Court Park isn’t the only problem area in the city — officers often respond to similar calls about the area near Lincoln and Pearl streets, Horrigan Court near the railroad tracks and the Eastern Trail, Hammer said.
Holly Culloton, director of Biddeford Community Gardens, said her team often finds used syringes and other debris in the raised garden beds at Williams Court Park.
“This summer has been really tough,” Culloton said. “It’s been really problematic.”
Related
Biddeford weighing how to help homeless residents while mitigating public camping
Gardeners also witness frequent drug use, Culloton said, and one was assaulted by a homeless person in the park. At times, she said, she’s considered simply “turning the garden over to them.”
“What do we do when we have a sharps container that isn’t being used regularly? What do we do when there are needles on the ground and in garden beds for little kids to find?” Culloton asked the City Council on Tuesday. “What do we do when freaky drug users are shooting up, taking who knows what, and having crazy and violent behaviors?”
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Because Biddeford is a service center city — meaning people have access to resources like Seeds of Hope, soup kitchens, food pantries, grocery stores and healthcare — Hammer said he doesn’t believe people experiencing homelessness will leave. Instead, the goal is to connect them with resources and limit dangerous waste.
Advertisement
While General Assistance is working with Seeds of Hope to get people housed and off the streets, Hammer said there needs to be a solution for those who refuse to go inside.
“We can offer beds, if we have beds to offer,” Councilor Lisa Vadnais said Tuesday. “But they can still say ‘no.’ I think the reason they say ‘no’ is because they don’t really like the restricted rules that they have to follow being in a shelter.”
To help mitigate the impacts of encampments, Hammer proposed a pilot program that would pair a compliance officer and a housing navigator to monitor encampments and work together to get people off the streets.
“The goal, from the municipal side, is to get people not living outside,” Hammer said.
Related
Sanford is ending syringe distribution and collection for a year
The city is also working with Maine Access Points, a nonprofit that provides overdose prevention and harm reduction services. Maine Access Points staff members and volunteers routinely answer calls for cleanups in Biddeford, primarily after an encampment has been moved by the city.
Anna McConnell, executive director of Maine Access Points, said the organization has also been working to place sharps containers in areas frequented by drug users.
“When we hear complaints and we go into the community to find trash and waste, it’s often in situations where people have been camping and were quickly and forcibly displaced,” McConnell said.
By working with city staff and the City Council, McConnell hopes to improve responsiveness to encampments — but also to better help the people living in those encampments.
“We’re really in the process right now of trying to improve the systems,” McConnell said. “I’m so impressed with how many people are coming together around this issue to make an impact.”
Copy the Story Link
Tagged: biddeford city council, homeless, homeless shelters, homelessness
Sydney is a community reporter for Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel and previously reporter for the Courier and Post. Sydney grew up in Kennebunk and is a graduate. More by Sydney Richelieu
