WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many issues, causing more and more people to become homeless.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as of January 2020, approximately 580,000 people in the U.S. were experiencing homelessness, which increased by 2.2% over the course of the year.

Winston-Salem is seeing a big problem with homelessness as tent communities continue to pop up around the city. John Swanson is currently living in an encampment in a wooded area off of Akron Drive. The pandemic put him out of a job, and he’s been living in a tent since August.

“I was in a federal halfway house, and I was sent there for three months, and we were supposed to work, but COVID came and broke out, and they wouldn’t let us work, so when I was released from there, I didn’t have no money or nothing,” Swanson says.

He says the encampment started with him and two others he met at a nearby hotel, and since then, it has grown to almost over 15 people.

“It was just us three for a little while, and then more started coming, and more started coming,” Swanson says.

According to homeless advocates like Arnita Miles, the city is trying to push people living in this tent city out.

“Almost two weeks ago now, the city of Winston-Salem posted a no trespassing sign,” Miles says. “The police department gave the residents 24 hours to vacate the property.”

The city of Winston-Salem did not respond to our request for comment, and now groups like Arnita’s are trying to help people like John Swanson find shelter.