After more than a dozen homeless deaths this past summer and tent cities sprouting up all over town, advocates gathered to find a solution before the cold winter hits.

CBS 11 took a tour of one of Anchorage's largest illegal homeless camps, at Valley of the Moon Park.

"I would imagine if you walk back through there, it would be an eye opener," said Sgt. Denny Allen, with the Anchorage Police Department.

Chester Creek trail is not the only thing people use in this green belt. Right next to it, is home to more than a hundred homeless people illegally living in tents scattered throughout the woods.

Homeless advocate, Ed O'Neil says, he wants a safe place for the homeless, just not at Valley of The Moon. "They will just be moved further into the woods and I can direct them to some safer places," said O'Neil.

O'Neil eventually wants to create a legalized tent city. But that idea raises some concerns with liability, security and bathroom facilities. "So unfortunately, for every great thing it would be for setting them open for an open camping, I think you have more questions that would have to be answered that might be liability to the city," said Sgt. Allen.

Sgt. Allen was posting warnings on the tents, giving them a 12 hour notice before tearing them down. Allen says this problem has been a revolving door for years, "In a perfect world we don't have to worry about it, but we have this problem and I think the best we can do

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is bring this problem down to a minimum."

Allen says he is just doing his job in carrying out the law but it is really in the hands of politicians when it comes to finding a solution. "That will be a great question for the politicians," said Allen.

Assembly members are currently waiting to see what the Mayors homeless task force rolls out. "As you see here, housing is what the problem is and we should find a way to do that," said assembly member, Harriet Drummond.

Anchorage City Church's Beacon Hill recently bought a building to do just that. "We are starting a shelter for homeless women and children," said the coordinator with Beacon Hill, Jeannine Jabaay.

There were no signs of homeless children living at the Valley of the Moon Park, so those living there now will not benefit from staying at City Church's new facility which is scheduled to open December 1st.

Mayor Sullivan will announce the creation of the multi-agency homeless group October 15th.

That group will provide short and long term recommendations of how to address the homeless problem in Anchorage.