Since the clearing of the Whoville campsite on Hilyard and Broadway streets, advocates for the homeless have been searching for a new rest area.

Whoville community members have their sights set on Lot Nine. Lot Nine is a parking lot located near Autzen Stadium on Leo Harris Parkway. The site’s proximity to the University of Oregon campus has drawn concerns from the university community.

“When considering these sites [Lot Nine and potentially Lot Eight] it is important to understand that many of our students commonly use the Frohnmayer Bridge to travel to and from their homes off MLK Boulevard and the university,” Vice President for Finance and Administration Jamie Moffit and Vice President for Student Affairs Robin Holmes wrote in a statement.

The Whoville community strongly believes that the concerns of the university are unsound and have confidence that the group of unhoused members won’t conflict with the needs of the university. Ideally, they want to use Lot Nine through August. They have a housing donor, according to Whoville representative Jennifer Frenzer, but they need a place to stay while they search for a space.

“The leadership [of the University of Oregon] doesn’t want homeless people where students are walking. They say they don’t want to lose business, but it’s better for us to stay there than in a residential area,” Frenzer said. “There are many other areas where students can walk and we aren’t concerned with our residents being dangerous people.”

Holmes and Moffit believe that the siting of Whoville near campus would create complications beyond disrupting the student pedestrians. Their concerns stem from fears of health hazards and maintaining a safe appearance.

As stated in the letter to Mayor Piercy and the city council, “We write today to ask that the Council consider these locations through the lens of the health and safety needs of the 25,000 students […] the commute [of the students] happens at all hours of the day and night, and we fear that the addition of a rest stop will compromise the university’s commitment to provide a safe and non-threatening environment.”

Advocates for the homeless feel that there is a greater community issue that needs to be addressed. Frenzer feels that not enough effort has gone into educating people on Oregon’s strikingly high rates of homelessness.

“I feel like if the students actually knew the people [of Whoville] then they’d be more willing to help [on the issue of Lot Nine]. We have one of the least sheltered homeless populations in the country and we just need a temporary place to stay while we look for one to buy,” Frenzer said

Holmes and Moffit have stated that it recognizes the serious issue of homelessness in Eugene and the administration is striving to find other solutions to the matter. Although they are strongly discouraging the use of Lot Nine for the Whoville homeless community, the university will be holding an educational conference on housing this coming fall.

Moffit and Holmes state that, “As the city of Eugene continues to grapple with how best to address the housing needs of our community members, we hope to play a larger educational role on the broader question of homelessness.”

According to University of Oregon Community Relations Director Matt Roberts, the homeless advocates for Whoville have requested a meeting with university officials. No meetings have been scheduled.