SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Julie Benson is the president of Helping the Homeless in Springfield, and she works closely with those without homes in her community.

"They get blankets from me through donations," Benson said. "They got tents from me. Also, some other people have dropped them off."

Now, some of those tents have been pitched on the corner of 11th and Madison streets in Springfield, on the east side of the city's cooling and warming center.

"They are calling it home right now, (be)cause it kind of feels like a home to them," Benson said. "The tents sounded like a good idea to them. There's land over there on the east side of the building. It was easy to set the tents up. There are 15 tents set up right now."

According to Benson, the tents are acting as temporary homes for those who don't have one.

"They've got access to showers over there, so we're doing showers three days a week," Benson said. "They've got two porta-potties. They've got access to the cooling center. They've got access to a dumpster. There are picnic tables over there for them to eat at."

When COVID-19 hit, Benson said many people without homes struggled to find places for shelter.

"They were told they could go on the east and south sides of the library," Benson said. "They have to social distance over there. You can't set a tent up on concrete and it's not comfortable to sleep on concrete."

Now, Benson said this congregation of tents has become a small community.

"One of the guys came over to talk to me, and he was passionate about wanting to stay right there in a tent, " Benson said. "He felt at home. He felt comfortable. He felt safe."

According to Benson, this is not a long-term solution, but she said this short-term fix is the best option for people right now.

"They have a heart. They are compassionate. They have feelings," Benson said. "Let's not forget we are dealing with human beings here and we should treat them as such."

A statement from the mayor's office said tents around the cooling center are not permissible. The mayor said the city has asked those who placed tents to move over to the Lincoln Library in the evening.

During this unprecedented time, the mayor's office said leaders are working towards an interim solution until a long-term one is provided.