CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Residents of a north end encampment in Charlotte had until Friday at 5 p.m. to leave their tents.

This came after an emergency order the Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health issued on Tuesday due to a rat infestation.

“People continuing to live on that site until the rats are eradicated would continue to increase their potential for exposure to diseases that we would prefer not to experience in this community. The other concern we have about that site, and we talked about this as well, is the threat to the greater public around that area,” Harris said.

The county offered residents affected the chance to move to hotel rooms for 90 days, which were covered with federal grants. On Friday afternoon, County Manager Dena Diorio said 150 people had been placed in hotels and 64 people had been referred to hotels. As of 2 p.m. Friday, 15 to 20 residents remained in the encampment.

Roof Above, Block Love Charlotte, Hearts Beat as One Foundation, Hearts for the Invisible, Leah’s Hope and Dreams, Just Do It Movement, and Project Outpour supported the county during the effort to relocate neighbors.

Kapone Williams who used to live in tent city accepted the offer to move to a hotel.

“It beats to be out here in the cold. It’s time for a change,” Williams said.

However, he said it was stressful to move on such short notice.

“I think that they should have had this plan when the pandemic hit, they should have made some type of arrangement or something,” Williams emphasized.

Short-term, Williams looks forward to having the comforts of a hotel.

“You can take a shower and have meals. You'd sleep in a nice warm bed,” Williams said.

Long-term, he hopes they can find permanent housing.

Joshua Bridges with University Soup Kitchen and other volunteers visited tent city Friday to provide toiletries, snacks, and gloves to residents before they left.

“Imagine if you were told you had two days to move all your stuff away. You at least want to have a couple of familiar faces around to, to help you with the transition,” Bridges explained.

They also wanted to ensure those who didn’t agree to go to hotels are cared for.

“We want to make sure that the people who do stay, we find them somewhere where they're not going to be harassed or they're not going to be taken to jail,” Bridges said.

On Friday morning, community activist Kyle Kirby protested with others to bring awareness about the housing crisis in Charlotte and to request for an extension for the residents in tent city.

“No one should have to live a rat infested area. But I know as a person that if I was given 72 hours to pick up my home and all of my earthly possessions, even if I had a car and means to do it, it'd be real hard to get it done in that time period. And I don't think that people should turn into criminals [Friday] at 5 p.m. for trespassing,” Kirby said.

According to the county, people who remain on the site after Friday will be asked to relocate to other areas.

Property owners, including the City of Charlotte, will ultimately decide how to handle those who remain on the site. The city said it was not looking to criminalize these individuals but instead was working with community groups to provide resources for those at tent city.

The property owners have 72 hours to clean the site and they must also submit a plan to eradicate the rats. The cleanup will likely start at 8 a.m. on Saturday.