Monday night, the Eugene City Council approved two locations for homeless people to pitch their tents. Although the city has some work to do first, volunteer organizations say they are ready to go.
The council voted 6 to 2 to allow campsites on Chambers Street at Northwest Expressway and Roosevelt Boulevard near Garfield. Michael Wisth is with the City of Eugene.
Wisth: "We have no set timeline but we are trying to work quickly to roll out a template for agreements with any group that will be managing the site."
Two volunteer groups have said they will manage the campsites. Fay De Buhr, with Community Supported Shelter, says they're waiting to hear from the City Manager's office:
De Buhr: "We're prepared to start. You know, we could start organizing stuff next week. Because we have a clear plan of what we're going to do there and it's in our capacity to do it."
Even if the campsites are successful, the City of Eugene will be revisiting the issue soon. The council has amended the camping ordinance to allow the sites through next March.
