City of Rochester officials are asking homeless people who have camped out near South Avenue and the 490 Douglass-Anthony bridge to leave that space. A news release from City Hall on Friday says that on Thursday night, a tent caught fire at that encampment, putting people at risk and damaging the property.
Officials say ongoing open fires at the site creates a dangerous situation for everyone staying there and for first responders.
City officials are asking homeless people living there to accept shelter options that have been made available to them. The Mayor Warren administration says that for several months, officials have been working with advocates for the homeless, but they say that many of the solutions city officials have suggested have been rejected.
That tent village near South Avenue has been there since October, when a group of homeless people left an encampment at Washington Square Park. Many of those camping out used to seek refuge in the Civic Center garage which began to lock its doors at night in August.
