PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Those living in a homeless encampment in Port Arthur will need to be gone by Friday, city leaders say.
The encampment is located on a private property between Monroe and Highway 73 near the Twin City Highway Walmart and Bob Hope School.
City leaders tell 12News the property owner wants to sell the land.
This mean that people like Carrie Booth and Chris Williams, a Vietnam War veteran, will be forced out of a place they called home.
"That's what a lot of us don't have is family to help us so we made our own family here," Booth said.
"Give us somewhere where we can go is what we want. Show us someplace where we can go and we'll leave you alone," Williams said. "Almost all of us have tried their programs and they don't work, they don't, not for us anyways and I still get dirty looks, things thrown at me, but as long as I'm here. I want to be treated like a human being."
Port Arthur City Councilwoman Doneane Beckcom tells 12News the city doesn't have the resources to help.
"It would be great if we had some steps on the other end of the process to help them get the services that they need as far as in Port Arthur, there's just no resources for them unfortunately," she said.
There has also been complaints about the homeless encampment.
Beckcom says the police has received multiple reports that people living there were speaking to students at Bob Hope through the fence and impeding traffic near Walmart's entrance.
Pastor Keith Richard with New World Harvest Church has been serving the people who live there for nearly five years.
Richard is begging the city to step up, or reconsider Friday's deadline.
"Let's give them some help somebody needs to take the lead to do it and I'm willing to do it. Lets come up with a solution and get it done, today," he said.
Pastor Richards told 12News he said Councilman Harold Doucet has asked the city manager to extend the deadline a few more days, but the pastor says he has not yet heard from the city manager on this. He said police have told folks at the camp they need to be out tonight or face possible arrest.
Beckcom says the people living there could be arrested, if they don't leave by Friday.
GET NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS | Download the 12News App to your mobile device
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.