HAMPTON, Va. (WVEC) -- They have to find somewhere else to stay.
That's why city leaders are telling people living at a homeless campsite off of East Pembroke Avenue. The camp is in violation of the city's zoning ordinance, which does not allow a permanent campsite on the property. Now "tent city" residents have until May 21 to leave.
The question now is, where will these people go? Most of them have been living there for years, so they want to know why now?
"After all these years, now, you want to crack and break down on us,” tent city resident Steven Lemon says. “I mean come on man we're not bothering anybody."
Hampton's communications coordinator Frederick Gaskins says they are receiving complaints from neighboring businesses, and this is not the first time.
In an email, Gaskins says the complaints were prompted by a fire last April and other activities on the property. People took their complaints to city council member and now mayor-elect Donnie Tuck. Letters dated April 21st were sent to the property owner and posted at the campsite.
"Really the idea of homeless camps in our city isn't something we approve of nor is it appealing,” mayor-elect Donnie Tuck says. “The fact is we have agencies in place to try and assist people who are homeless."
In an email from the city, they have reached out to people living at the campsite numerous times on how they can offer services, and members of the homelessness consortium met Tuesday morning to discuss how to reach out to them over the next few days. Lemon has a message to city leaders.
"If you see any problem with anything that we have out here or something that we're doing wrong that we will try to correct the problem,” Lemon says.
If the camp is still there after this Saturday, the city will issue a summons charging the owner with violating the city ordinance.