On Thursday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m., a consortium of advocates for the homeless held a press conference at Whoville, calling on Mayor Kitty Piercy to use the power given to her by the Eugene City Code to declare a housing emergency in Eugene and legalize the Whoville site at Franklin Blvd. and Hilyard St.

Representatives of Nightingale Public Advocacy Collective, CALC, Occupy Interfaith, Whitebird, SLEEPS, Occupy Eugene, and the Eugene Human Rights Commission were on hand to talk about the importance of Whoville and to clear up some misconceptions about the situation of the homeless in Eugene that had been circulating in the media–such as the statement that there were shelter spaces available for the residents to go if Whoville is closed.

The homeless village had been functioning well for four months. The people in Whoville had toilets and a handwashing station. Organizations and individuals were contributing propane, food, and warm clothing.  Whoville was a place where the unhoused were living in dignity and relative safety.  The press conference was a collaboration of service agencies, advocates for the unhoused, and individuals trying to help the public and city administration understand how important it was to keep Whoville open.

Photos by Michael Adams 

Videos by Jana Thrift