A short row of RVs, a converted school bus and a few trailers now line Jerome Avenue in Woodlawn, and the block has turned into a flashpoint over safety, sanitation and the fate of people squeezed out of the city’s shelter system. Some nearby residents say they are fed up with the rumble of gas generators, late-night noise and what they describe as the smell of dumped wastewater. People living in the vehicles counter that they simply have nowhere else to go with their pets, leaving both sides watching and waiting to see how the city responds.
Tenants Say They Are Out of Options
At least five RVs are currently parked along the Jerome Avenue stretch, and one tenant, 57-year-old Camille, told News 12 she has been living in her vehicle for about three months. She made it clear she is not leaving her animals behind, saying, “I’m not going to lose my dogs or my cats.”
Camille estimated she spends roughly $160 a week just to keep a gas generator running. She described some of the setups as essentially semi-permanent, pointing to a converted school bus fitted with cameras and solar panels. Rather than constant shuffling from block to block, she urged the city to create designated parking lots with electricity and sewage hookups so people living in mobile homes can stabilize their lives without being pushed along the curb.
Nearby Encampments Draw Fire From Neighbors
The tension in Woodlawn mirrors complaints surfacing on other Bronx streets. Neighbors and business owners recently sounded off about a larger collection of trailers and RVs parked along Bronx Boulevard, telling reporters there were ongoing problems with dumped human waste, generators running nonstop and vehicles sitting there without license plates, according to the New York Post. Those residents said the sanitation issues and safety worries have left them frustrated and increasingly anxious about potential long-term public-health risks.
Enforcement Is Swift but Spotty
When city enforcement crews do show up, neighbors say the response can feel aggressive but incomplete. The NYPD recently carried out a sweep of a similar encampment on Bronx Boulevard, towing nearly 100 vehicles and handing out summonses to dozens more for expired plates, leaving mobile homes in the same spot for more than 24 hours and illegally dumping sewage into the street, News 12 reported. While that cleanup brought some short-term relief to nearby residents, it did not answer the question of where people living in those vehicles were supposed to go next.
Residents Want a Real Plan, Not Just Sweeps
Local Woodlawn residents say repeated sweeps are a Band-Aid and not a strategy. Many are calling for a clearer, long-term policy that protects public health and safety while also offering humane alternatives for people living in RVs and trailers. Advocates have pointed to “safe parking” models in other places as one possible template, while others argue the city needs faster outreach, more regular sanitation services and enforcement rules that everyone can actually understand, frustration that has also surfaced in coverage by the New York Post. Until City Hall lays out a concrete plan, neighbors and vehicle tenants in Woodlawn say the uneasy coexistence along Jerome Avenue is likely to continue.
