It was another busy weekend for Portsmouth Police dealing with squatters, unauthorized tenants, and people tearing their way into boarded-up houses — all highlighting the growing crisis of abandoned and neglected properties across the city.
14th Street: Squatters in the Carport
Around 12:30 a.m., an angry property owner contacted police to report squatters living in the carport of his 14th Street property. A friend, keeping an eye on the place from Waverly, spotted the unwanted guests but said they fled before officers arrived.
Officers noted that the carport provided a clear view into the home — where valuables could be easily seen from the windows. The friend promised to call police again if the squatters returned so they could be officially identified and trespassed.
Summit Street: Paying Rent in a Condemned Home?
At 7 p.m., a neighbor called 911 to report a woman — and her two dogs — had been living in a condemned house on Summit Street for over a year. When officers investigated, they confirmed the home was on the city’s condemned list. However, they also learned the woman had been paying rent for more than a year and had active water and electric service.
Police passed the case along to Portsmouth Code Enforcement to determine how a supposedly uninhabitable property had managed to stay off the city’s radar for so long.
Holcomb Alley: Boards Ripped Off to Break In
Later, officers responded to a report of a man and woman tearing boards off a boarded-up house on Holcomb Alley and going inside. Police confirmed the back and side doors had been forced open, with boards ripped away. Once again, Code Enforcement was notified.
The Bigger Picture: An Epidemic of Abandoned Homes
These incidents are just the latest in a steady stream of calls about people using abandoned homes for shelter — often putting themselves and others at risk. In many cases:
- Homes have been condemned but still have utilities.
- Squatters leave behind garbage, drug paraphernalia, and human waste.
- Property owners can’t keep up with repeated break-ins.
- There’s little recourse once someone is inside.
As colder weather approaches and homelessness surges, these abandoned properties are becoming havens of desperation — and flashpoints for neighborhood frustration.
While police respond repeatedly, and Code Enforcement is alerted again and again, many Portsmouth residents are left wondering: Where’s the long-promised plan to get ahead of this crisis?
