
MAMDANI’S CITY: Another Illegal NYC Encampment Flourishes In The Bronx, With Toilets Emptied Into The Streets
A section of the Bronx has effectively been transformed into an unauthorized encampment, with squatters occupying more than a dozen trailers, RVs, and even a retired ambulance, creating what neighbors describe as worsening health and safety conditions, the NY Post reports.
Along the stretch of roadway, illegal generators hum beside propane tanks placed directly on the sidewalk, while waste from chemical toilets is allegedly being emptied into the street itself. Residents say the situation has deteriorated steadily and has remained largely unchecked.
According to people who live nearby, the encampment has been in place for roughly two years. The conditions, they say, are no secret to the community.
“They pump s–t out into the streets and then they don’t move, so the street sweepers can’t even clean them up,” a lifelong Bronx resident, who asked not to be publicly identified, told The Post Wednesday. “It smells like a chemical toilet and it gets worse in the summer.
“I understand people need a place to live, but this is only getting worse,” he said.
Just one day earlier, The Post reported on a similar unauthorized trailer settlement near Citi Field in Queens. There, dozens of families were reportedly living in motorhomes and trailers in what authorities described as another illegal encampment.
At that Queens location, squatters were allegedly operating illicit car-service repair operations, drawing electricity from nearby utility poles and siphoning water from fire hydrants.
“We gave up calling the police,” local business owner Luke Huwang said. “The police don’t touch them.”
In the Bronx, approximately 15 trailers and recreational vehicles were parked along Bronx Boulevard between Duncombe Avenue and East 211th Street. Some of the vehicles were outfitted with security cameras, and nearly all appeared to have solar panels and digital TV antennas attached.
The entire area is posted as a no-standing zone, prohibiting extended parking.
Gasoline containers and propane tanks were visible outside many of the vehicles. Several generators were running, providing power either to the trailers themselves or to nearby cars—some bearing out-of-state license plates and others displaying no plates at all.
Among the vehicles was an old ambulance propped up on jack stands, with a generator running outside. Parked nearby were two compact cars and a Chevy SUV, each carrying New Hampshire license plates. When reporters from The NY Post knocked on doors to inquire about the situation, several individuals inside reportedly turned off the generator and remained silent.
One man who stepped out of an RV was asked whether police had visited the encampment.
“No, they don’t bother us,” he said. “We keep the place clean. There ain’t no reason to bother us. I’ve been to all 48 states for work and this is nothing.”
A nearby gas station appeared to serve as a supply hub for residents of the encampment, offering items ranging from camping gear to knives and brass knuckles.
A short distance away, on Gun Hill Road, an old school bus added another dimension to the scene. The bus, painted with marijuana leaves and emblazoned with the words “the Green Empress,” featured a walk-up window where customers could knock to purchase cannabis.
Inside, a man described the price of a $10 marijuana joint as “a donation.”
Photo: James Keivom