“Camp Hope” residents to move to hotel rooms after severe weather destroys tents

SALISBURY, Md. – Mayor Jake Day announced on Friday that all residents of Camp Hope will be placed in hotel rooms, bringing an effective end to the relief effort at Lake Street Park.

For less than two weeks, Camp Hope was established to provide the Salisbury community’s homeless population a way to safely stay in place during the coronavirus outbreak. Over the past few days, high winds and heavy rain forced the temporary evacuation of the camp, and many tents suffered severe and/or irreparable damage as a result.

“For our homeless population, there really was no viable way to shelter-in-place, and that’s what Camp Hope provided.  While it’s unfortunate that we had to see this outcome brought about by such drastic events, it is a wonderful outcome.  I couldn’t be more proud of Christine Chestnutt, and our partners at the Somerset Health Department and Seton House for this rapid, resourceful, and heartfelt response to a situation which had the potential to be so dire,” Jake Day said in a statement.