Community groups worry unhoused people were pushed to Philadelphia side streets after clearing out Kensington Avenue
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's been one week since Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration took its first action in the embattled Kensington neighborhood. Last Wednesday, city crews cleared out homeless encampments that lined two blocks of Kensington Avenue, between Allegheny Avenue and Orleans Street.
This week, many signs of the clear-out remain. Barricades still line the sidewalks to block people from loitering in front of businesses. City street sweepers could also be seen running up and down the two-block zone.
Patrice Rogers, who runs Stop the Risk in the zone that was cleared out, has also noticed many more police in the neighborhood.
"I am seeing more police presence more so than I have ever seen in four years that I have lived in this neighborhood," Rogers said.
City officials last week said throughout the month-long encampment resolution, outreach workers were able to place 59 people into housing and treatment. Rogers, whose organization works to get people clean and off the streets, called it a start, but also worried about the hundreds more suffering from addiction who are still out there.
Rogers also said that in terms of the people who were living on Kensington Avenue, many of them were simply moved after the clear-out.
"I just feel like it just spread everyone out and now people are more in people's neighborhoods now," Rogers said.
CBS News Philadelphia crews spotted homeless people sitting on sidewalks on Allegheny, just around the corner from the clear-out zone. There were also more unhoused people on Somerset Street, south of where the clean-out happened last week.
Brian Parkhill with Parkhill Recovery Solutions said he and other community outreach teams are trying to get to these people who have moved. But there's an extra complication for people using a combination of opioids and xylazine, often referred to as tranq.
"It's not easy for these people to go and just say I'm going to treatment," Parkhill said. "They have really bad infections throughout their blood. They're really sick, like they're ready to have limbs amputated. It looks like a war zone."
City lawmakers have noted last week's operation in Kensington wasn't a one-off event to solve the community's problems. Councilmember Jim Harrity, who lives blocks from the Kensington and Allegheny intersection, says more needs to be done.
"I believe in the mayor's plan and [am] confident in the process," Harrity said in a statement to CBS News Philadelphia on Wednesday. "This is going to take time before we see substantial progress but it's going to be done in stages. We're making positive strides."
Community groups that have been on the ground in the beleaguered community for years say right now, they're just hoping for more cooperation and coordination from City Hall.
"If we join forces with Philly PD, with all the outreaches, I'm sure we'll get a higher rate of people into treatment," Parkhill said.
"Let's have some talks, some seats at the table, and see what can actually be done about people that's facing homelessness and opioid addiction," Rogers said.
