On a sunny spring morning in lower Manhattan, residents of a sidewalk encampment were collecting their belongings. The unhoused duo who sheltered on the sidewalk under scaffolding at 38 Eldridge Street, just off Canal, had received notices from the city stating that the location was scheduled for a cleanup on Monday.

“Beginning 4/11/2022, the NYC Department of Sanitation, and/or other New York City agencies, will complete a clean-up of this location,” read the notices, which were taped to the wall next to the encampment. “As of the date of the clean-up, you must leave this location along with your belongings.”

“This is not my first time,” said Neil, one of the residents of the encampment. He called the policy a violation, explaining that the last time his makeshift home had been swept, “I lost everything: brand-new sneakers, socks, shampoo, jeans, gloves, even a cell phone.”