Lancaster homeless population forced to vacate [Video]

LANCASTER, Pa. — Some of Lancaster’s homeless population is being forced to relocate after county officials told them they can no longer congregate outside county government buildings.

The decision comes as officials report an increase in crime and other public health and safety risks, including the presence of human waste and rodents. But according to Steve Berg, chief policy officer for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, homeless individuals face their own safety risks.

Berg said, “People who are homeless, they have to have somewhere to sleep, and they often find that they feel safer if they’re gathered in a group of people…where they’re not likely to be victims of crime.”

But these groups have been disbanded outside the Lancaster County Government Center, forcing those who once found safety and shelter on its benches to find a new place to sleep. The new …