Beyond the trees nestled between Federal Street and route 676 is a tent city within the city of Camden. Camden County officials call it Transition Park because they're trying to transition the homeless people who live there into suitable housing.
"We realize this is not going to be a 1 week or 2 week process, this is probably going to be a 2 year process," Gino Lewis of Camden County Community Development said.
Transition Park was started four years ago by Jamaica Banks, better known here as the mayor. He wants the tent city to close by April 15 and the 50 residents placed.
No one believes that will happen so soon including Banks who says even if it does, he's staying.
"I want them to come for them, get them housing, and I can stay here and finish my life; I like the outdoors myself," Banks said.
A homeless outreach team visited Transition Park today. Its mission is to identify and assess the residents' needs and what kind of help they can get. Many have mental health or substance abuse issues; some have criminal records.
"When you have a felony record, getting a job is horrible," tent city resident James Boggs said.
Dr. Thomas Lind volunteers in the tent city two to four times a week.
"I've got a list of all the residents here and what their health care needs are so I bring by stuff as simple as ibuprofen," Dr. Lind said.
It's a place of organized chaos. There is a list of rules and regulations from no arguing or fighting to cleaning up the area.
Frances Clifford has lived in Tent City for a year and says she doesn't want to leave.
"I feel at peace here, I'm comfortable, it's like a community. We have people that take care of each other," Clifford said.
Sadly, homelessness is a long time way of life for many of these residents, but they say being homeless in a tent community like this is better than being homeless alone.
