There are more than a dozen tents, inside an area that was previously fenced off, commonly referred to as Tent City.

DALLAS — Take a drive along I-45 and you may notice a group of tents are popping up in an area under the highway as you approach downtown. There are more than a dozen tents, inside an area that was previously fenced off. The tents are large and small. You will also notice crates and make-shift seating surrounding a barbecue pit.

”It’s just like the neighborhood you live in,” Quinten Bell said.

More and more homeless residents like Bell are moving back to this area under the I-45 bridge. They are building a small, yet familiar, type of community.

“If it’s not one thing it’s another,” Timo Garcia said as he walked toward the tent he uses as a workshop for bike repairs. “Out here is a dog-eat-dog world.”

Garcia is among the hundreds of homeless residents who lived under the I-45 bridge when it was called "Tent City Dallas" back in 2016. Those individuals and families were forced out when the City of Dallas launched a massive effort to shut down, clear out and fence the area.

"City Square and Austin Street offered me housing, but I couldn’t present my ID so paperwork never processed," Garcia said.

The City of Dallas and its Office of Homeless Solutions have ongoing strategies to address the issues. Along with its partners, the Office of Homeless Solutions is active in checking on, cleaning up and in some cases shutting down tent encampments. The groups also work proactively to connect homeless residents with a variety of resources.

Monica Hardman with Dallas’ Office of Homeless Solutions said the city has a four-track approach to tackling the issues. She says the Office is finding success among a couple of those tracks, including increasing shelter capacity.

Yet, some homeless residents believe parts of the strategy may be flawed. Robert Shaw has been homeless for one year. He says he has moved to several shelters.

"It might help some people, because they do offer shelter, resources, and stuff," Shaw said. "But I’ve been to all of the shelters and the resources are just a waste of time pretty much, if you need money and food."

A few of the residents in the tent encampment under I-45 explained lack of identification cards, criminal history and tough shelter rules keep them from fully taking advantage of many resource, among other things.

”It’s just moving from one bad place to another,” Bell said.

The area under I-45 is back on the city’s radar. Residents say city staff issued notices over the weekend explaining the encampment will, again, shut down May 17th.

“You’re stuck,” Shaw said.

Shaw feels the current strategy only leads to a continuous cycle of uncertainty for some people.

“It’s a trap,” he said.

Hardman explained a homeless encampment recently closed at I-30 and Hill Road cost the City of Dallas about $12,000 to clean and remove debris. Installing fencing at that location cost roughly $60,000.