Residents of Camden, NJ’s Tent City, with its 16 rules to live by, may be ousted this week

Tent City in NJ could be closed this week

CAMDEN, N.J. — A homeless encampment hidden between a highway off-ramp and railroad tracks in Camden could be closed this week.

But some people who live there say they won’t go.

Camden County officials say they imposed a deadline for the residents of the self-governing Tent City for Thursday as a way to force them to get help and find better places to live.

Last week, about 60 people lived in the four-year-old enclave. They say the group’s 16 rules get followed and the place is safer than being in the streets.

But officials say there are sanitation problems and other issues.

County community development director Gino Lewis won’t say what action he would take for residents who don’t move out.