photo by: Shelley Hanson

People protest on behalf of the homeless population in Wheeling on Thursday across from the City-County Building in Wheeling.

WHEELING — A group of about 30 people stood across from the City-County Building on Thursday afternoon in protest of a planned dismantling of a homeless encampment in East Wheeling.

That dismantling won’t happen as of now, with city officials saying those in the encampment can stay until the Winter Freeze Shelter opens — provided no criminal activity or illegal behavior happens until then.

Kate Marshall, a homeless advocate, and others held signs with messages stating “Move Where?” “Hands Off Our Neighbors,” “Stop the Sweeps,” “Don’t Displace the Displaced,” and more.

As she stood across from the City-County Building Thursday afternoon, Marshall said she hoped the city administration would delay taking down the camp until at least the Winter Freeze Shelter can be reopened for the winter. The freeze shelter typically opens in December each winter unless temperatures become frigid at night sooner.

City Manager Robert Herron said later Thursday that the encampment will not be dismantled today and the homeless can continue to live there until the freeze shelter opens Dec. 15. He noted, however, that if any criminal activity, trash dumping, or other illegal behavior occurs there before Dec. 15 then the city will dismantle the camp.

“I did talk with the police department this week and they said the calls have diminished there during the last two-and-a-half weeks,” Herron noted.

Herron said there is no dumpster at the site, but if the homeless place their garbage in trash bags the city sanitation workers will pick it up.

Marshall said she and other advocates did not understand why the homeless were given an abrupt two-week notice. No local social service agencies or advocates were contacted beforehand or given a good reason for the planned action, she said.

She said the site is on city-owned property, which is located near the Nelson Jordan Center, and that no one has complained about the people living there.

The city designated the property for the homeless to use after the freeze shelter closed last season, she said.

Marshall said many complications come when a camp is closed.

“When they dismantle an encampment (the homeless) lose their blankets, their clothes and tents — important stuff for them to stay alive,” Marshall said.

She said homeless also often lose their forms of identification and other personal items during such upheavals as well.

Advocate Ryan Ewing of Moundsville said he is also against the city possibly adopting an ordinance making it illegal for people to camp on public property in the city.

“If they evict them from that hill, basically the ordinance is in effect,” he noted.

Ewing said if homeless people do not have a base of operations, it makes it more difficult for them to get back on their feet.

If they constantly have to focus on moving their belongings around, finding food and a bathroom, it makes obtaining a permanent place to live and work even harder, he said.