An encampment on S. Front Street near I-83.
Work will soon begin on a part of PennDOT’s I-83 expansion project that will impact Harrisburg’s largest homeless encampment.
The encampment, located in south Harrisburg near the PennDOT building, may be subject to loud noises, water runoff and other construction impacts of drilling and construction work from March 3 to 28, the city announced this week.
Harrisburg has long been aware that the encampment would eventually be impacted and likely need to relocate due to PennDOT’s impending construction on the highway and the on-ramp that is near the encampment. For over a year, city officials have told the public that they are working on a long-term plan to address the issue, though no formal plan has been shared.
Unhoused community members have occupied the area along S. Front Street for a long time. However, the encampment grew significantly following the city’s closure of an encampment under the Mulberry Street Bridge in 2023. Additionally, in recent years, Harrisburg has called for unhoused people to move out of encampments along the Capital Area Greenbelt and Riverfront Park.
According to Harrisburg Communications Director Mischelle Moyer, there are over 100 people in the encampment.
On Friday afternoon, one woman said that has lived at the PennDOT encampment for a year, having moved there after the city made her leave Riverfront Park, where she previously stayed in her tent. She’s aware that this encampment will need to vacate at some point, but said that the city hasn’t shared any information with her community. As the self-described “camp mom,” she said she is in the know on the happenings of the encampment, but said that, as far as she knows, everyone is in the dark.
They were made aware about the drilling, she said, but only found out the date that it would begin yesterday. As far as future construction or long-term plans go–she has heard nothing from city or PennDOT officials, she said.
“We just need to know when we have to be out and where we have to go,” she said. “We want answers.”
Moyer said that the drilling in south Harrisburg is the start of phase one of construction on I-83 that will impact the encampment. She said that officials have visited the encampment to inform people of the upcoming work.
“State, county and city representatives have visited the encampment multiple times to ensure the first phases of this project are as unintrusive as possible to our unsheltered community,” Moyer said.
On Friday, several people at the encampment told TheBurg that they had not seen or spoken with city officials.
Moyer said that she believes only about three people will need to move their dwellings as a result of the drilling construction and noted that nonprofit groups are already helping them do that.
Additionally, the construction could produce loud noise in the area, water run-off, freeze hazards and standing water. The city is offering earplugs to people and sharing information on local shelters where people can go. The Labre Mental Health Clinic, 2600 N. Front St. offers shelter Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the McCormick Riverfront Library is open to the public Monday through Saturday, the city noted.
“Officials and the engineering firm spoke directly with homeless individuals who will be the most affected by the work, i.e. those who must shift their shelter because they are located in designated reconstruction space,” Moyer said. “These same officials were out twice to mark specific areas affected by the drilling with white and pink spray paint. So the residents of the encampment have known well in advance what will be happening where.”
Moyer said that she does not know when PennDOT’s next phase of construction will take place or how it will affect the unhoused.
PennDOT was not able to provide immediate comment on the construction.
“At some point, the entire encampment will be affected,” Moyer said. “However, the city has been working diligently with the county and the state to come up with a viable solution that is beneficial to everyone involved.”
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
