Caltrans clears out large homeless encampment at National City
Workers from the California Department of Transportation on Friday cleared some homeless encampments that have been growing over the past year alongside Interstate 805 in National City, where residents have complained to officials about their presence for the past few months.
Such homeless camps have become a common sight alongside freeways during the past year as Caltrans followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to leave people in encampments alone during the pandemic because they may be safer there than in shelters or in more crowded areas.
There have been exceptions, however. Caltrans has stated it will clear out homeless encampments if there is a safety concern, and on Tuesday it posted notices at the encampments that people would have to vacate the sites by Friday.
“The encampment at I-805 is scheduled for removal in the next 10 days after an immediate fire threat was identified following a blaze at the location on Saturday, May 15,” read a statement released by Caltrans n May 18. “Where an encampment poses a critical safety concern or an immediate threat to infrastructure necessitating removal, the department coordinates with law enforcement and other local partners to mitigate threats to infrastructure and to address critical safety concerns, or other imminent dangers to people in encampments or the public.
Read more: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/story/2021-05-21/caltrans-clears-out-large-homeless-encampment-at-national-city
= new reply since forum marked as read
