It was a packed house at a discussion on the homeless encampments under a section of the Houston Harte Expressway in San Angelo.
Many residents lined up to share their side of the issue at a public forum Tuesday at the McNease Convention Center.
One of those was Reginald Felton. Felton a member of what is being called "Tent City."
"There's a lot of different circumstances for all those," Felton said, referring to the others that live at tent city. "That can be drug use, it could be family problems, job, whatever," he said.
Felton said he did have a job before falling on hard times. He was a security guard in San Antonio. After undergoing three back surgeries, he says, it left him unable to lift heavy objects and find a job.
"We do have people that are out there working that live in tent city," Felton said.
Among the issues raising concern for residents is how close the community of tents is to Central High School.
"My concern is that it's 200 yards from the school and so that becomes a safety concern," Amber Mcnew, a San Angelo resident, said.
Felton disagreed with Mcnew and others who said they've seen residents of tent city interacting with the students.
"As a group we don't interact with the students," Felton said. "We don't even say anything to them."
Felton said he has had some students offer to give him financial assistance.
"I was offered money from a student," he said. "I turned it down. I don't want the school to see it and think we're the bad guys."
The city says there are plenty of resources to get the residents of tent city back on their feet and out of the tents.
One of those resources being the San Angelo Salvation Army which can house as many as 900 people in its shelter.
"You can ask us at the Salvation Army, the best thing to do to help someone is to bring them to an agency and let us do the case management with them," Major Tim Grider of the Salvation Army said.
When asked what the future will hold for Felton, he said he wanted to get out of the tents and help others as well.
"We as a community down there, we're not the bad guys, we have our struggles down there and we're just looking for help," Felton said.