GAINESVILLE, GA — A community soccer field in Gainesville, long home to a large homeless encampment, is set to be cleared in the coming weeks to make way for sewer improvements and a creek cleanup project, city officials confirmed.
The encampment, located near a popular recreation area, has grown over the past year to include around 200 residents — many of whom are now facing uncertainty about where they will go next.
“I’m packing, I’m leaving. I don’t know where I’m going,” said Beth Carruth, one of the camp’s residents. “There’s a lot of people who get checks that don’t have enough money to get places.”
A Difficult Transition for Residents
The city’s plan comes amid growing concerns about both public safety and environmental health near the site, where the camp sits adjacent to a local creek…