ALEXANDRIA, La. (UrbanCast: 6/24/2026) — Imagine being told you have to leave your home by Friday morning.
Now imagine that “home” is a patch of woods, a tent, a tarp, or a makeshift shelter built from whatever materials you could find.
Imagine being told to pack up everything you own, knowing there may not be another place waiting for you.
That is the reality several homeless residents in Alexandria say they are facing this week.
Tina, who says she has lived in a wooded area behind the former Cason Street Community Center for nearly four years, told UrbanCast that residents were informed Wednesday morning they must leave before cleanup crews arrive Friday.
For many people, moving means loading a moving truck.
For Tina, moving means trying to find another place where no one will notice her.
“We’re trying to find another spot to go hide out in,” she said.
She also worries about the six dogs she considers family, including one she says is 19 years old. If she is arrested or unable to care for them, she fears they could be taken away.
Whether every resident accepts available services is a separate conversation.
Whether some have refused housing opportunities is another conversation.
But one question remains the same for everyone who is still living outside today.
Where are they supposed to go Friday morning?
Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition
UrbanCast posed that question to the Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition.
Executive Director Kitty explained that the Coalition provides outreach, case management, referrals, showers, laundry facilities, and assistance navigating housing programs. She also said funding is limited and not everyone qualifies for housing assistance.
Then came perhaps the most telling response of the conversation.
“I don’t know where they’re supposed to go.”
That answer speaks to a challenge much larger than a single encampment.
According to the Coalition, approximately 230 homeless individuals were identified during this year’s regional Point-in-Time Count, an increase from the previous year.
If homelessness is growing, and available housing remains limited, what is the plan?
Are there enough shelter beds available?
Will outreach workers be present Friday morning?
Will transportation be provided?
Will personal belongings be protected?
If someone has nowhere to go, what happens next?
Removing an encampment may remove homelessness from one location.
Does Not Remove Homelessness From The Community
It does not remove homelessness from the community.
People who have no permanent housing do not suddenly become housed because a campsite is cleared. More often, they move farther into the shadows. Another wooded area. Another vacant lot. Another place where they hope no one notices them.
UrbanCast has submitted questions to the City of Alexandria seeking clarification about the planned cleanup effort, the resources available to displaced residents, and the city’s long-term strategy for addressing homelessness.
As of publication, a response had not been received.
By Friday morning, the camps may be gone.
The question that remains is whether the problem will be gone or simply moved somewhere no one can see it.
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