BALTIMORE — People in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore are upset with the Housing Authority after they claim they’re making their food desert situation worse.
The convenient store trucks that many in that community depend on are being forced to move out.
In the Cherry Hill neighborhood, toiletries and food is scarce. That’s why “convenient store trucks” were brought in.
However, they are now being forced out.
As many people’s food supply, in the neighborhood convenient store trucks, are being told to leave, community members are feeling the frustration.
Those convenient store trucks were told they have two weeks to vacate or they will be towed.
“It’s been a trend in Cherry Hill for 70 years,” said Paul Samuels Jr., who owns one of those store trucks.
Samuels, who most know as “Uncle Paul” says he has been helping the community with these store trucks for 17 years.
“These people they look for me,” Samuels said.
Samuels, like Shawntay Curry and others who live in Cherry Hill, say those convenient store trucks fill a void for the people who live there.
“A lot of the elderly people or the kids when they get out of school and stuff they stop there get their snacks,” Curry said. “Some of them sell noodles and bread, juice, chips toilet paper, soap, powder, body wash all types of stuff that we need to get by.”
The Housing Authority issued the notices saying they are consistent with Baltimore City laws and that those commercial vehicle owners don’t have arrangements or agreements with the property.
Peggy Jackson Jobe, chair of the Community Coalition Board in Cherry Hill, says these truck have been serving the community for years.
She thinks the Housing Authority should find a way for them to stay.
“So the truck served as a convenience. it was like our 7-Eleven on wheels,” Jobe said. “if it’s for health reasons, I would think that we would help them move towards bringing it up to compliance.” People in the community, and those who own the store trucks, think it is wrong to take away resources many depend on.
“Why they trying to take them,” Curry said. “Like, we really need these. Like, we depend on them.”
WMAR-2 news spoke with Ingrid Antonio, who’s the Senior Vice President of Communications for the Housing Authority, and she sent out a statement responding to this issue that read:
“The Cherry Hill parking area is for Cherry Hill residents and their guests only. There are several illegally or unauthorized vehicles parked within the Cherry Hill development. Some of the vehicles in question are food trucks and commercial tractors.
Notices have been distributed to vehicles alerting the owner the vehicle will be towed. Instead of giving a 24-hour notice ,we decided to give the owner of the vehicles 2 weeks. The notices are consistent with Baltimore city laws that say commercial vehicles should not be parked in residential areas.
We are not aware of any resident or owner or a vehicle having an arrangement or agreement to have their vehicle on our property.
We have no confirmation that these are official licensed food truck operations. However, we can confirm that these unauthorized vehicles interfere with residents having access to parking in their own community.
It is not appropriate for these food trucks to park on federally assisted property without our permission."
