CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade confirmed to Cville Right Now on Monday morning that efforts are underway to clear the unhoused residents from the Free Bridge encampment and that, once the site is cleared, camping in that area will no longer be allowed.
“It has started now by offering those eligible for services options,” Wade said in a text message.
The encampment along the Rivanna River trail has become a makeshift campsite housing about 80 members of the area’s homeless population.
“A coordinated transition of the encampment area is planned to begin on or around Sept. 1, following several weeks of outreach to ensure every individual has been offered services and an opportunity to accept assistance,” City Spokesperson Afton Schneider told Cville Right Now. “After the transition is complete, camping in this area will no longer be permitted.”
The city also provided a statement from Mayor Wade that read, in part, “This is not a simple issue, and there are no easy answers. We remain committed to treating every person with dignity while also fulfilling our responsibility to maintain safe, clean, and accessible public spaces for everyone.”
Shayla Washington, the Executive Director at the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless, one of the groups coordinating with the city on plans for a low-barrier homeless shelter on Holiday Drive, told Cville Right Now the organization had been notified of the city’s plans. Washington said concerns of potential flooding during the September flood season is one of the driving factors.
The encampment has been an increasing concern for city officials and residents alike. Last week, Charlottesville Police responded to a report of a sexual assault there. In June, the Charlottesville Fire Department responded to a significant fire at the campsite on June 30. On June 10, a deceased person was found inside a tent.
In June, CPD Chief Michael Kochis called the conditions at the encampment, especially in high temperatures, “an immediate public safety issue.”
