PLACERVILLE-

An apparently successful city sanctioned homeless camp will never the less close in three weeks because a permanent site still hasn’t been found.

Hangtown Haven was started just over a year ago and survived some serious glitches before becoming a model homeless camp that has been visited by people from around the country.

“It’s just kind of snowballed into an incredibly successful program, more so than we would have ever guessed even a year ago,” said Hangtown Haven volunteer president Art Edwards.

Residents formed a camp counsel and enforced rules on cleanliness, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and other behavoir issues. The 30 to 40 campers now act as a family and and help each other transition out of homelessness.

“We basically help pick people up and shake them off and away they go and help them get back into the real world,” said camp council member James Adkins.

The peer help is key for people who often have never had a family.

“We’ve given them a family, support system, hope, all of those things.  We’ve rallied resources around them and to help the,” said Rebecca Nyland.

The City of Placrville and many community organizations are happy with the success of the camp.  But Hangtown Have is operating on a temporary use permit that has been renewed several times.  The site is on temporary loan, and is not conducive to safe foot traffic.  Water and sanitation are also temporary.

The latest permit expires in three weeks.  Hangtown Haven supporters have found a replacement site on county land, but it ran into objections by nearby businesses and residents.  The  El Dorado County Board of Supervisors have yet to act on the proposed site, and residents are already packing up and getting ready to leave.

“They are really sad and terrified as what’s going to happen to them. No one really knows what’s going to happen once they leave,” said Edwards.

You can find out more about Hangtown Haven at their website.