Members of Huntsville’s homeless population are expected to return to the camp on Derrick Street within the next few weeks.

That’s when renovations will be complete, Community Development Director Scott Erwin told the Huntsville City Council last month. The camp has been shut down since it was damaged by a fire on Sept. 17.

The residents were moved to an adjacent site about 50 yards north of the camp at Derrick Street and Hall Avenue across from Glenwood Cemetery following the fire.

See story: Huntsville plans cleanup and ‘reset’ at fire-damaged homeless camp – al.com

See story: Fire destroys large homeless encampment in Huntsville: ‘How can I help?’ – al.com

“The temporary camp occupants will be returned to the new camp or they may receive assistance to transition to an emergency shelter,” Erwin said.

Mayor Tommy Battle said Erwin’s department has done “yeoman’s work” trying to get the camp back into shape, “making it a safe place and a sanitary place.”

The mayor said the camp has been the subject of misinformation following the fire. Erwin said crews have been clearing the site of all of the hazardous debris, trees, brush and other materials. He said the fire left the camp very unsafe and unsanitary.

“The renovated site now contains a new, hard surface pad that will soon be equipped with a metal privacy fence as well as entry ways for emergency vehicle access,” Erwin said. “It will have 84 identified spaces with each space to be provided with a tent and a designated area for their belongings.”

Erwin said the city conducted listening sessions with the unsheltered population where the top concerns were safety and security around the camp.

“The renovated Derrick Street camp will provide a safe and secure location for the unsheltered to reside while they move toward a more permanent housing solution,” Erwin said. He said local organizations are providing resources to help the unsheltered find those solutions.

Huntsville is believed to have about 540 unhoused people, based on an estimate in January 2024 from the North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless. That number includes people in shelters and those not living in shelters.

First Stop, a non-profit working with the unsheltered, reported to AL.com as having seen 600 new clients from November to February,

See story: Homeless crisis in Huntsville? Nonprofit sees 600 new clients in just 4 months – al.com