The City of Eugene Friday posted "no trespassing" signs at a homeless camp near downtown that calls itself Whoville. The community of around 30 people has been living in tents at Hilyard and Broadway since September.
Eugene Police Sergeant Larry Crompton came to the camp to talk with residents and explain what's going on:
Crompton: "The signs that are up right now say 'prohibited camping' and those will be changed to 'no trespassing'. And there will come a time in the near future when there will be notice that the people here will have to leave."
Crompton says no immediate enforcement action is planned. In a media release, the city says the goal is for people to leave the site voluntarily. A homeless man who calls himself Red says he has nowhere to go.
Red: "It's worked for this long. I mean what's the problem? When they come in here for getting us for trespassing then we're criminals. But we're just homeless people looking for a safe place to sleep."
Dozens of local homeless advocates came to Whoville to show solidarity. They're trying to help people move to another site nearby. Residents hoped this site would be sanctioned as a legal rest stop by the city, but instead they chose a site at Roosevelt and Garfield. The city says there is space available.
