Deadline Approaches For Tent City Residents

Tent City residents must soon move away from their compound on West 13th and Chestnut Streets or risk going to jail for trespassing.

Tent City residents are standing their ground as the October 10th deadline to move off of CSX Railway's property is fast approaching.

Ariel Hamilton, a Tent City resident says: " This is our home of course we are going to try to fight it."

Rhonda Mattie, also a Tent City resident, said: "We been here almost thirty years on and off. We haven't done nothing. We don't bother anybody!"

Both 20 year old Ariel Hamilton and 36-year-old Rhonda Mattie have bonded over the recent turmoil in tent city.

They are just two of very few women in the compound and they worry about their future because there aren't enough homeless shelters for women.

Rhonda says:"Not for women. Mad shelters for men. But nothing for women. "

Ariel says:" I'm really scared for having to leave."

Tent City residents are being asked to move away because a man was hit by a train over the summer. CSX officials say the area in now unsafe.

But Diana Ames of the Pennsylvania Homeless Coalition worries for the women's safety as they are forced to move away.

Diana Ames: "We ran out of beds quickly and now there's no beds.  It's kind of like a lottery where you're calling every day."

Both Hamilton and Mattie have no plans of leaving. In fact they tell us, most of the residents are willing to stay and risk jail time.

Rhonda: "Nobody has a game plan! This is where we live."

 Airel: "This is where we live. Why do they have to take away our home?"       

The mental health association of North Western PA is trying to help out.

They are working out a plan to house some of the residents from tent city, but they say they still don't have enough money to help....