Several dozen homeless advocates spoke at Monday's Eugene City Council Meeting urging councilors to allow Whoville residents to remain at their camp near downtown. The camp is made up of about 50 homeless people in tents, who've been at Hilyard and West Broadway for a couple of months. There's fear the camp will be closed once the city opens it's pilot "rest stop" later this month at another location. Laura O'Hannion was among the speakers who asked that Whoville remain open.
O'Hannion: "I'm wearing 2 and 3 pairs of socks in my house with heat on. I can't imagine what it's like to be outside these days. And we're not talking shelters where people have heat, we're talking tents. Can't we leave people with their tents?"
Mayor Kitty Piercy says the city has no plans to close Whoville. Homeless advocates want the city to open up to 4 rest stops where people can set up camps. The council will go on winter break after this week.
