HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A fire in September of 2024 devastated the Derrick Street Homeless Camp, but allowed city leaders to rebuild and fix what they say wasn’t working.
“Previously, what we did, we had a camp that was not necessarily managed or organized or monitored daily,” Scott Erwin, Huntsville Community Development Manager, said. “So, again, what makes this different is that we’re going through all those things to set the individuals up for success so they can work themselves out of the situation.”
The camp, reopening in a couple of weeks, is free of the previous hazards and will keep people living there safer.
“There were so many environmental safety and health problems in the old camp,” First Stop Executive Director Chad Rodriguez said. “There were drugs. There were visitors who were unwanted…The moves that the city has made to reorganize this [camp] and to make it a safe environment for our unhoused neighbors is really just a night and day difference.”
The South Derrick Street Camp has gone through a complete restructuring. The ground is now asphalt instead of grass. Painted on top of it is a grid system, with 84 individual 12′ x 12′ spaces and walkways between. A 10′ x 10′ tent sitting on top of a platform is inside each space. There is also a roadway for Huntsville Police officers to easily drive through and monitor the camp.
But the changes don’t stop there.
Every person who wishes to move into the newly structured camp must sign the community guidelines, which outline the rules and regulations moving forward. The guidelines say what can and cannot be brought into the camp, like excessive trash and alcohol. It also describes the rules in detail, from noise ordinances to how many people can live in one tent.
“There has to be respect,” Erwin said. “You can’t do drugs. You know, the fire has to be limited to 5-pound propanes…We’re not looking for anything that doesn’t already exist in the broader community.”
If they don’t follow these guidelines, their time at the camp may end.
“Ultimately, they can’t stay if they can’t abide by the rules,” Erwin said. “But it’s not a one-and-done…We have to deal with those on a case-by-case basis, because our first priority is finding out what their circumstances are that led them to be here.”
Non-profits, the city, case managers, and Huntsville Police are working together to maintain safety and offer support as the camp reopens. Although organizations said they have one primary goal in mind.
“While there will always be a number of chronically homeless, the goal for First Stop, for the city, for every agency, is to hopefully get every client into long-term, stable housing,” Rodriguez said.
The city said roughly 70 people have signed up to move into the camp. The move-in process should start in the next couple of weeks.
The post Tragedy into triumph: South Derrick Street Camp officially reopening in a couple of weeks appeared first on WHNT.
