A homeless encampment in Woodstock has been vacated after a request to the city by the property owner.

Nada Lunsford of Steven’s Home, a local nonprofit serving the homeless in the community, said camp residents were given a notice May 28 that they had to vacate the property within seven days.

Around 10 to 20 people were moved, Lunsford said. With assistance from local police, they have been temporarily moved to an undisclosed location while placements are being arranged.

“This work is never fast,” Lunsford said Wednesday, adding there are a lot of issues involved and a lot of barriers to connecting even one person to social services. It can take months to help even just one person, she said Thursday.

Lunsford gave an update to the Woodstock City Council Tuesday on the effort to clear the site, which is located northeast of the intersection of Irving Avenue, Judd Street and Route 47, behind a gas station and Jewel-Osco.

Lunsford said the residents did their own work in cleaning up the encampment.

“They worked very hard,” Lunsford said. “I was very proud of them.”

Lunsford said that the day after the seven-day notice to clear the land was given, she went to the encampment to talk with the residents about it and to come up with a plan to vacate. Emotions were high, people were scared and had a lot of anxiety, she said. Lunsford said she told the residents the police were working with her. She said the residents had calmed down some by the end of the conversation.

She said the police have been cooperative and helpful.

“Homelessness is surrounded by fear,” Lunsford said, adding fear comes from all sides, from the homeless and police.

Lunsford said police did a quick walk-through Thursday to confirm the site had been cleared. She said residents complied with the notice to vacate and left before the deadline. There’s no indication that police forcibly removed anyone from the camp.

Woodstock police did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday or Thursday. City Manager Roscoe Stelford said Wednesday the encampment was on private property, and it was the property owner’s request to clear the site. He said the city was working with agencies like Steven’s Home and Warp Corps.

Rob Mutert of Woodstock-based Warp Corps said his organization does not visit encampments unless they are called to the encampments, but does provide supplies daily to people if they need them. Mutert disputed that the entire encampment was cleared, saying people were merely asked to relocate to a main area from other neighboring parcels.

But others involved have given no indication that it was not a full clearing of the encampment.

In January, Warp Corps relocated its depot – where Mutert has said people can shop with dignity while everything is free – from the Woodstock train depot to a property at 722 E. Calhoun Street. Walk-ins are welcome from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; however, calling ahead is recommended.

The new depot is closer to the encampment, and Mutert said the unhoused know where to go and the hours of operation.

The encampment has been there for years and has occasionally seen police activity. In 2024, a man was charged with attacking another man with a knife at the camp. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison. In April, a man was found dead at the encampment.