Grand Rapids plans to clear homeless encampment in park after overflow shelter opens Updated Dec 16, 2020; Facebook Share As it turns out, the rumor of it happening Wednesday, Dec. 16 wasn’t true. City officials say their first priority is getting people sheltered, not clearing the camp. “The timeline is fluid at this point, because the city will not go through with enforcing the ordinance for no camping in city’s parks until the new shelter is open,” Tammy Britton, the city’s homeless outreach coordinator, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press on Wednesday. “That’s the first step, making sure the alternative shelter is available before anything else.”