(WFIE/WKYT) – Tents and belongings for several people have been removed from the property they were staying on in Owensboro.
It was known as “Tent City,” an encampment on a wooded property near English Park that dozens of people experiencing homelessness were using.
Bulldozers plowed through the encampment Monday morning, destroying tents, clothes, food, and even trees.
“It’s very heartbreaking even though I didn’t get to grab all the stuff I had. So basically, what I couldn’t grab was like my dog’s food, my clothes. I had to leave a tote of food behind because I couldn’t grab it,” one-year “Tent City” resident Amber Notestine said.
City officials say the property belongs to Specialty Foods Group, a meat processing facility.
“Tent City” residents say they have been asked to leave a few times in the past by the property owners, but were only given a week notice this time before the heavy machinery began demolishing.
“It would’ve been better if we would’ve got more of a notice. So, we could’ve found somewhere to go. But now, none of us have a place to go,” Notestine said. “They didn’t say anything about bulldozing or destroying everything that we couldn’t grab.”
They are now unsure of next steps, some people ineligible for shelters because they have pets.
“It’s heartbreaking. Cause this is the only place I had for a year. And some shelters, some places won’t except the animals. And I’m not giving up my dog for anything,” Notestine said.
Members of outreach organizations and concerned neighbors came down to check on the people displaced by the demolition.
“To me, this is very, very, very sad. It’s an embarrassment that I live here, that we treat the homeless population the way we are treating them right now. These people deserve love, care, homes, food, shelter. And for this to be going on, in the city that I’m living in, it’s really hard to stomach it,” Owensboro resident Mary Fraize said. “I’d like to see a lot more people step up. I’d like to see a lot more of the community care enough to do something beneficial to help these people.”
We tried speaking with a representative with Specialty Food Groups, but we were told at the front gate we couldn’t speak with anyone or get contact information.
