Almost 3 years ago - in 2010 Tent City in Lakewood NJ was home to about thirty homeless individuals. Today in the beginning of 2013, there are close to 125 homeless people living in Tent City. This raises numerous concerns for us people living in the neighborhood. The open fires that are lit each night to bring heat to the homeless cause smoke and soot to settle over the neighborhood, and are a terrible fire hazard putting our lives and our homes in danger should the fires spread. In addition the smell of the smoke is extremely strong and unbearable, making it uncomfortable to be outside as well as inside, as it penetrates our homes leaving a lingering unpleasant smell. Another major concern we have regarding the smoke and the soot is the health of our children, the elderly and the health sensitive individuals, as the smoke makes it difficult to breath and is damaging to the lungs and the heart! In regards to the local traffic- the smoke is so thick at times it limits visibility on Cedar Bridge Avenue. Our neighborhood is also subject to homeless individuals who are coming and going to and from Tent City. There is a lot of trespassing, public urination, tossing empty bottle and other refuse onto private property and openly using alcohol and other substances. There are also numerous environmental issues and violations at the site - the site is located on wet land and they are cutting trees down. They also dug a well for water without filing permits or testing the water. They have no proper sewer system in place, just to list a few. We are concerned about our safety and the safety of our children! We need the Lakewood Township to relocate the homeless from the woods to a safer location. Let’s not allow the situation to reach a point that there will be irreversible damage done- “Let’s be safe and not sorry!!”

Links