HARRISBURG, Pa. — State agencies recently intervened at a bus shelter in downtown Harrisburg that had become unusable for bus riders due to several homeless people living there the past few weeks. They said their purpose was to both reopen the bus shelter and offer resources to the people living inside.
Tom, a Harrisburg native who wanted to be identified only by his first name, has experienced homelessness several times in the past. He said after overcoming a substance abuse problem, he was working two food industry jobs in early 2020. But during the pandemic, both jobs let him go, forcing him again into homelessness.
“Listen, when this virus is done, the (expletive) part is I didn't even (expletive) catch COVID,” Tom said. “But guess what? I’m gonna’ pay for this virus and what happened this past year for a long time.”
Tom said he has a place now, but he still hangs out at the bus shelter at Fourth and Market Sts., where some homeless people have been living in recent weeks.
“There's nowhere to go for people who have nowhere to go,” he said.
“I feel sorry for those people. I really do. I don't think they should have to live in a place like this,” said Deborah Burnell, a York resident sitting next to a used food tray on her bench as she waited for a bus home.
Bus riders have been unable to sit on the benches or shelter from the rain in the glass structure due to trash and people sleeping.
“It was affecting folks negatively. We have to be able to share our space and it can be scary,” said Aisha Mobley, community mobilization coordinator with Christian Churches United, a member of the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness (CACH).
City agencies keep track of large homeless encampments and regularly send people to connect the homeless population with resources, said Bryan Davis, executive director of the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (HRA), another member of CACH.
“But every once in a while, there are spots that people will just pop up with three, four people, or ten,” Davis said.
When smaller camps pop up, CACH members try to reach out with food, shelter and medical resources.
“My thing is as I’m hearing what their concerns are, is trying to connect them to those resources,” Mobley said.
The bus shelter at Fourth and Market Sts. is now largely empty except for bus riders. Davis said HRA, which owns the shelter, removes trash daily from the bus stop.
Tom also helps keep the shelter free from trash by reminding anyone there not to litter.
“People want to go home and people want to go to work. They should not have to deal with crap,” Tom said. “That's why I sit here and dictate it.”
Amtrak and Harrisburg police have increased patrols of the area to deter any illegal activity and remind people not to loiter, Davis said.