For a reason shrouded in the mist of long ago, the City of Albany owns three lots in the same block as the Albany Helping Hands homeless shelter. The shelter has an idea of how the lots could serve a useful purpose, and it’s not to house people in ragtag tents.
Given the reports last week on conditions in “Marvin’s Garden,” it was clear that Albany’s designated camping site for homeless people would have to be shut down.
One year ago, trying to comply with state law, Albany set up a designated homeless camping site on two city-owned lots near Ninth Avenue and Jackson Street and called it Marvin’s Garden. The place has turned into a big trouble spot, and city officials are trying to figure out what to do next.
One of the necessities Albany’s designated homeless camp needed was a source of potable water. It didn’t have one on Wednesday, but now it does, thanks to Helping Hands.
Albany’s officially designated homeless camp, Marvin’s Garden, has at least three deficiencies that should be fixed, the city council learned Wednesday. Members listened to the report but made no move to act on it.
At Marvin’s Garden, the city of Albany’s designated camping site for homeless people who have nowhere else to go, the first residents appear to have moved in.
With ‘Marvin’s Garden’ closed, now what?
After a week out of town, on Friday the bike took me past what used to be the City of Albany’s designated camping site for homeless people.
Tags: camping sites, homeles, Marvin's Garden