New Haven city officials on Thursday morning removed a homeless encampment on Ella Grasso Boulevard known as Tent City.
Mayor Justin Elicker said only three out of the eight people who were living at the site were still there Thursday morning, and they left willingly.
One activist refused to leave and was arrested on a trespassing charge, Elicker said. He was identified as Mark Colville.
City crews cleaned up what was left of the encampment earlier Thursday.
鈥淭here was some larger, heavy materials of construction pallets and the like and a lot of trash that had built up,鈥� Elicker said. 鈥淭hey had a truck that they had to load the materials into.鈥�
Protesters had gathered at city hall earlier this week to voice their concerns about officials tearing down Tent City. They say the city is targeting the wrong people in the housing crisis. They want the city to focus on landlords and enforcing housing codes.
City leaders say Tent City has become a public health and safety concern.
Elicker said the city has worked with people staying at Tent City to provide storage for their belongings. He said city officials continue to support evicted residents in a number of ways, including helping people find apartments and arranging travel out of state.
