Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin is keeping his promise to address homelessness and public safety. Over the last several weeks, the City of Birmingham has worked to relocate those who were living in a homeless encampment in Linn Park, located in downtown Birmingham.
"For the last two weeks, city staff have taken complaints regarding unhoused residents in Linn Park. For several days we sent HEART BHAM to engage. One person in particular refused to remove his tent," the City explained in an expanded social media post following a misinformation campaign that accused the City of a "raid" on the homeless there.
"It is important to note that tents and similar structures are not permitted in city parks without approval from the Park Board. When tents or encampments appear, the City’s consistent approach is to request removal of the structure while still allowing individuals to remain in the park during regular park hours," the City said in a separate statement.
"Our HEART BHAM outreach workers engaged repeatedly, offering services, transportation, and safe alternatives. In one case, an individual declined every offer and, over several days, became increasingly aggressive toward staff. When the situation escalated today, Birmingham Police intervened to prevent anyone from being harmed," the City said.
"No one was arrested. No one was forced out of the park," the City added. "The only goal was to keep everyone safe — including the individual involved — and to continue offering the support he has been repeatedly encouraged to accept."
Woodfin's actions have come under fire from City Councilwoman Crystal N. Smitherman, who posted on social media, "As a member of the Birmingham City Council, I want to be clear: Like many of you, I learned about it after the fact — and it hit me hard."
"I was not aware that belongings were being removed from Linn Park yesterday, and I share the concerns many residents have raised," she added.
The City said it will "continue working with community partners, service providers, and residents to ensure that every person seeking stability and shelter has a path forward." They urge those who are in "crisis in non-emergency situations, please call HEART BHAM at 659-596-3458."
For more information about the city's efforts to serve our unhoused residents, visit here.
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