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Residents rejoice, advocates protest: Escambia’s homeless may be forced off public land
At any given time, homeless advocates and county officials say there are between 200 and 300 people camping in the area around Beggs Lane. It’s the biggest homeless camp in Pensacola.
The land is owned by Escambia County and county leaders are allowing people to stay because many have nowhere else to go and there aren’t enough shelter beds to accommodate them.
“This is the only place we’ve got to go,” said one homeless man. “You don’t want to kick us out in the street where a bunch of us would be out roaming the streets all night long. Nobody wants that, not even us. We just want to have somewhere we can just be.”