Houston homeless camp includes treadmill, putting green
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Trampus Edwards may be the only man in Houston with his own treadmill under an overpass. He also has a putting green and a tent that's always filled with goodies. Today, you'll find dozens of boxes of Goldfish crackers inside of it.
"Everything that felt personal to me, I kept," Edwards said. "That's my right."
The ACLU is currently suing the city, saying it is unfairly criminalizing homelessness.
As that suit moves through the legal system, a judge granted a temporary restraining order that keeps police from moving homeless camps.
RELATED: City ordinance orders homeless to leave
The mayor calls Edwards' camp at Caroline and Wheeler a health hazard. He has sent city workers to deep clean the area multiple times.
Since Edwards refused to move his belongings at the last deep cleaning on November 15th, city officials filed a motion saying he personally is making it impossible for them to keep the area clean and safe.
I asked Edwards why he wouldn't move his belongings temporarily, so city workers could clean the area.
"Why would it be dangerous? What is somebody going to do with a big old treadmill?" he asked. "The city can say what they want to say, but why aren't they saying, 'let's pack up everybody and put them in a housing project?'"
City officials declined an interview on this topic because it's an ongoing legal issue.
