Several residents in the Fort Negley tent camp have been rallying to keep the city from closing down their community.
Following controversy surrounding homeless encampments in Nashville, those who live at the encampment said they want to stay put.
"I don't like to use the word homeless," said Stephen Hopper, a resident at the encampment. "We are residentially declined."
Hopper has been at the camp for about two weeks, and after finding out that he and many people he calls his family were going to be evicted by the city. He helped plan a rally to get the message across - homelessness is not a crime.
The rally, held on Friday night, kept the city from shutting down the camp for the time being, but people in the camp said they were fearful of what will come next, hoping Mayor Megan Barry will come up with a solution that doesn't involve bulldozing their camp.
"We don't want to kick anybody out. We want to help them find a place," Barry said on Saturday. "That's what we've been working on for the last four months."
Those in the camp said they were in favor of getting help, but they said the options presented to them aren't ideal. It would either split up their family, or would be a worse alternative to their current situation.
"We're trying to get our lives back on track." One of the residents at the encampment said.
Some of the people at the encampment have only been there a couple of weeks, while others have been there for years. The one thing they say they have in common is the fact that they support each other, and continue to work toward a better life.
"We ain't bothering nobody." One member of the encampment said. "We ain't criminals. I mean, it's not a crime to breathe, it's not a crime to try to survive."
While some members of the encampment remain, dozens left after the treats of eviction, and even citations from the city.
According to members of the encampment, on Tuesday they had counted 87 people staying at the encampment. By Saturday, that number was less than 20.
Mayor Barry said she plans to work with the people at the encampment in hopes to come to a solution that works well for all parties involved.
