Homeless living in tunnel ask St. Louis city officials for land

ST. LOUIS -- Homeless residents living inside an aging St. Louis tunnel asked city officials Wednesday for a place to relocate when their makeshift community is forced out by demolition crews.

A handful of people living in what they've dubbed "Hopeville" gathered at city hall to produce a petition signed by 48 people who live in the tunnel. They asked the Board of Aldermen to find an acre or two of land where they can move when, in about two weeks, the tunnel gets filled in.

"What are we going to do?" asked Kimberly Peterson, a 32-year-old woman who recently found herself homeless. "We're going to be back on the street. Our home is being torn down and we have nowhere to go."

Several tents and makeshift homes are inside and near the old tunnel, which once served a railway beneath Tucker Boulevard in downtown St. Louis.

Residents say it provides shelter from the weather and, although dotted with trash and rodents, allows for a sense of community. It has a leadership council that sets rules, including no drugs or violence, and a volunteer security force that scares away intruders, residents said.

A sign naming the area Hopeville, U.S.A. is posted near the entrance to the Tucker tunnel, Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in St. Louis. The city is planning on removing the residents and filling in the dilapidated tunnel.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

But it appears unlikely that the city will donate land for a new Hopeville.

William Siedhoff, director of the St. Louis Department of Human Services, said Wednesday's event was likely organized by the Rev. Larry Rice, an advocate for the homeless who is often at odds with the city.

Rice is trying to acquire the old federal building in Cape Girardeau for use as a homeless shelter.

Siedhoff said the city became aware in January that 24 homeless people were living in the tunnel, and began efforts to find them permanent homes. He said three homeless people remained until the week before Easter, when suddenly 150 people showed up.

Siedhoff believes Rice moved people from the shelter he operates to the tunnel, though Rice denied the claim. Rice said word simply spread that the tunnel was a viable alternative to living on the streets.

Siedhoff said the city is focused on getting people into their own homes. He said the city has made great strides, with the number of homeless residents in St. Louis dropping 30 percent in the last five years.