Starting Thursday, the city of Antioch will be working to shut down a large tent city that has been causing problems for nearby residents.

The camp has grown from just one or two tents to 50 people in the past few months.

On East 6th Street near downtown Antioch, there’s a community all its own.

“Give us help. Show us love just like we are human beings.” said Charlette Levi.

“We need them to treat us like citizens!” said David Ball.

There are tents for housing, chairs for sitting, tables for eating, and pets for comfort.

But behind the blue tarps, there’s dirt, trash and garbage building up — and now the City of Antioch says it’s time to clean it up and move the homeless out.

“I witnessed some open fires on the property, uncontained fires burning on the property, I witnessed animals running loose on the property,” said Curt Michaels, Antioch Code Enforcement Manager.

This is home to about 50 people. They say they’re a community, a family and if the city tries to shut them down, they aren’t going anywhere.

“it’s illegal to be cruel to animals. How is it not to be cruel to the homeless?” said Ball.

The City of Antioch says the land is privately owned, and after multiple failed attempts at getting in touch with the property owner, they got an abatement warrant and say everyone will need to vacate the property by Monday.

“I’m fortunate and able to pay my rent but things could happen and I could very well be one of these guys right here so I have sympathy for them,” said Antioch resident Michael Sumler.

People who live on this street have complained to the city about the homeless.

Sumler says they can be loud at night, but he worries what will happen when they leave this spot.

“I don’t know where they’d go if they kick them away from here, they’d go to another neighborhood and create the same problem with someone else,” said Sumler.

It’s an issue the city says concerns them as well.

“This by no means is going to create a long term solution for this particular property or any other property in the City of Antioch,” said Michaels.

City officials will also bring Animal Services with them when they return to the site to assist with the dogs living in the camp.

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