Philly To Break Up Kensington Avenue Encampments Wednesday

PHILADELPHIA — Authorities in Philadelphia will be working to clear out encampments on Kensington Avenue Wednesday, and thus will close a portion of the road.

According to city officials, Kensington Avenue will be closed in both directions between East Orleans Street and Allegheny Avenue from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

A city team will be working on a planned encampment resolution on the 3000 and 3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue.

During the closure, vehicles will be detoured southeast to Frankford Avenue, Emerald Street and nearby streets.

The closure is needed to ensure the safety of city outreach teams as they engage people on the last day of encampment resolution Wednesday, during which people living at the encampment have been notified to dismantle any tents and structures that pose public health and safety hazards and obstruct sidewalk passage.

This closure will mark the final day of a month-long encampment resolution process that began on Thursday, April 4, when the city officials posted a 30-day encampment resolution notice on the 3000 to 3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue and other adjacent locations.

Since April 4, outreach teams and social services agencies engaged people daily to ensure low-barrier housing, services, and connections to treatment are made available and offered to people experiencing homelessness at the encampment leading up to and on the day of the resolution on Wednesday, per the City’s tent and structure policy.