NORTHAMPTON — People living at a homeless encampment behind the closed Speedway gas station on King Street were told by police that they have until Monday to leave the area and find elsewhere to go.

The encampment, situated between the gas station and the city’s rail trail, is on property owned by energy company National Grid and has been there for over a year, several people said on Friday. The camp has had as many as 15 people staying there at any one time.

Most of the people staying at the encampment had left by the time police arrived at around noon. Though nearly empty of people, the area contained many belongings including tents, mattresses and a grill used for cooking.

Warren Martinez, who said he had been homeless since he turned 18 and had been living in Northampton for the past five years, was still there.

“We didn’t think it was real at first,” he said. “But now we’re scrambling and figuring out what to do.”

Martinez, 30, also said it wasn’t the first time he’s been at an encampment and forced to move.

“It’s unfair, it’s happened so many times,” he said. “I lose everything and am left with nothing and nowhere to go.”

Another man at the encampment, who only gave his first name as Ty, said he had been homeless last year but had since found housing in the Pioneer Valley. He said he was there to help as an advocate for Martinez and other people in the encampment.

“A lot of people left because they don’t like interactions with cops,” he said. “They do this ever year — they chase everyone out of their spaces in late April or early May.”

Members of the nonprofit National Lawyer’s Guild were also in attendance on Friday to serve as legal observers. Shaundell Diaz, a specialist from the Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Three County Continuum of Care, and Tim McCarthy, the executive director of the local nonprofit Craig’s Doors, also were present at the scene to assist with the interaction.

Victor Caputo, captain of operations for the Northampton Police Department, told those gathered that he was sympathetic, but with the property being owned by National Grid, there wasn’t much the city could do.

“They drew a line in the sand right now,” Caputo said. “We’re trying to work with you as much as we can.”

McCarthy helped Martinez secure shelter for the time being. “That was the goal the entire time. I cant believe this is what it took,” Martinez said afterward.

Diaz said she would contact National Grid and ask if the utility would give people living in the encampment a two-week extension before they had to vacate. She noted that those living there for over a year might need that much time to find another place to stay.

“We’re going to convene an email response to National Grid,” Diaz said. “That will hopefully set a precedent.”

The Division of Community Care, set up by the city as an alternative response unit to assist with issues such as mental health crisis and homelessness, was not present when the police showed up at noon time. Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said that DCC workers as well as volunteers from Manna community kitchen had been there earlier to assist with other members of the encampment, and that they had been part of negotiations to delay the eviction until Monday.

“As of this morning, the Division of Community Care and Manna have assisted nearly all affected campers in finding alternate solutions,” Sciarra said in a statement Friday afternoon. “I am immensely proud of our city staff for handling this matter with profound compassion.”

The pending eviction comes as officials at all levels of government have struggled to find solutions to a growing homelessness crisis. The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments on whether the town of Grants Pass, Oregon could ban homeless encampments on publicly-owned property or if such ordinances constitute cruel or unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

In Massachusetts, officials for the city of Salem are developing an ordinance that would ban such encampments, provided the city can give those in tents somewhere to go. Similar action was previously taken by the city of Boston to clear out the Mass and Cass encampment in November.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.