ST. LOUIS - A homeless encampment, north of Downtown St. Louis near the riverfront, must leave the area that they have been sleeping in by Thursday.

Advocates are concerned this will leave many from the St. Louis homeless community in need with no place to go.

On Wednesday, Reverend Larry Rice and his support staff from New Life Evangelistic Church handed out sleeping bags and tents.

“That's why we're engaging in distributing 650 tents all over the city, and Jefferson and St. Charles County,” says Rev. Larry Rice, New Life Evangelistic Minister. “There's so many people sleeping outside that have been told to move, but where can they go to?”

Rice says those who have been sleeping near the old Cotton Belt Freight Depot, north of the flood gates in downtown, were served with letters by the owners of the building, telling them they had to vacate the area by October 31.

“These people live here,” says Rice. “Like 30 or 40 people. This is their home, and a letter has gone out that they have to vacate. But they have nowhere to go. So they're not vacating. They're continuing to stay here. My prayer is the city of St. Louis and the people that say they're responsible getting government money and the like will help the homeless directly. These individuals need homes.”

Rice says that since his New Life Evangelistic Center closed, homeless residents of St. Louis have been scattered, looking for a place to sleep.

“We're trying to keep people alive,” says Rice. “We're trying to take out hundreds of sweatpants and long johns, blankets, tents, sleeping bags, everything we can. Because our teams are helping people shelter in place, because there isn't any place else for them to go in this area.”