WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron received a clear directive from City Council Tuesday evening: close the exempted homeless encampment on city property by December 1st.
Council members voiced frustration with the camp, and Mayor Denny Magruder called it a failure. Officials said a final decision on the closure could be announced in the coming days.
The council’s directive comes amid ongoing debates over how best to address homelessness in Wheeling, balancing public safety, available resources, and the needs of the city’s homeless population.
Frustrations Mount Over Wheeling’s Homeless Camps: Local Woman Asks, “How Is This Helping Anyone?”
Wheeling resident and community activist Carlee Dittmar spoke with River News in September about the homeless camp located near her neighborhood in the Fulton section of the city, citing concerns over crime, drugs and health conditions in the camp. She also cited instances of nudity near a school and people passed out at the Sheetz gas station.
