‘We don’t know where we’re going to go'
LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) - People staying at a homeless encampment under a bridge in Lancaster County said officials ordered them to leave by Friday morning.
WBTV talked to people affected by the order. They said all the shelters are full, and there’s simply no place for them to go.
“Just don’t know where to go,” Charles Thrift said.
Thrift has only been under the bridge off Lancaster Highway for about 10 days. The cold makes it feel longer, but the cold weather isn’t nearly as harsh as reactions from others.
“Most people look down their nose at you, like you’re something they just scraped off the bottom of your shoe,” Thrift said.
Through life’s hardships, Thrift was forced out of his home. Now, he may be forced out of the only place where he feels welcome.
“The county comes back and tells us we’ve got to go,” Thrift said.
The half-dozen or so people who live under the bridge in Lancaster County said deputies told them they have until Friday, Dec. 20 to clear out and find somewhere else to live.
John Foust has been on the street for seven months. He said all they want to do is survive until better times come along.
“We’re not here to hurt nobody,” Foust said. “We’re here to live life to the fullest until we can get back on our feet.”
“We don’t know where we’re going to go,” Tanya Miller said.
Miller went to college and said if she could end up here, it could happen to anyone.
“We’re just trying to get back on our feet, and support each other, and make it better for ourselves,” Miller said.
But what about moving to a state park or a KOA? Advocate Kelly Gregerson said it’s more expensive than you think.
“State parks run around between $45-$50 a night,” Gregerson said.
Steve, another person living at the encampment, said after hitting a rough path in life, living here was his only option.
“We really don’t have anywhere else to go, and this was the last place I could think of going,” he said.
Those at the camp on Thursday were counting the minutes until officials come and turn their lives upside down again. They just wait and hope they’ll finally catch a break, so that they can get a fresh start.
“I’d like to have a hand-up … not a hand-out,” Thrift said.
As for homeless shelters, people staying at the encampment said most shelters around the area were already full. There was even an offer to let them move to a private plot of land, but they said the current laws prevent them from camping there.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said it is asking those living at the camp to leave after it has received complaints from people using a nearby public boat ramp, as well as surrounding property owners. The sheriff said those complaints include things such as loud noise and litter, and said his office has also investigated crimes at the camp.
“The timing of this action is not ideal, but we respond to complaints when and where we get them,” the sheriff said in a statement. “Our deputies are aware of resources available in the community including the warming center, and we regularly refer folks with needs to these service providers. We are providing information about these services to the people camped under the bridge.”
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