LITTLE ROCK-Eviction notices posted at Little Rock homeless camps have provoked protest and debate at City Hall.
The city's Code Enforcement Division posted signs at three homeless camps that gave occupants five days to leave and remove their belonging from the properties, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
The outreach ministry The Van held a protest Tuesday on the steps of City Hall steps before a board meeting in response to the notices. Protesters said there weren't enough shelter beds in the city.
"Please stop these evictions until there are legitimate options for these people you are running out of these woods," said Arron Reddin, executive director of the ministry.
City Manager Bruce Moore told protesters that the city would look into extending the five-day time frame for people to move out of the homeless camps, but he made no mention of stopping the citations altogether. He also said he would be willing to speak to protesters to work out issues.
The eviction notices have been issued by the Code Enforcement Division for many years, said the agency's manager, Ed Garland. The notices, which say they are "deemed necessary for health safety and welfare reasons," are usually posted after the city receives complaints about a particular homeless camp.
"The only reason Code Enforcement would visit a homeless camp is if someone has complained to the city," Garland said.
He said that when the Code Enforcement Division posts an eviction notice, agency workers bring a homeless coordinator to "kind of talk to them about services, see what the needs are, and ask them and inform them to remove their personal belongings."