SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – San Diego crews are working to clear a massive homeless encampment along the San Diego River.
“We’re out here doing the final part of the encampment resolution closure,” Franklin Coopersmith of the City of San Diego Environmental Services said.
Parts of broken-down tents, trash and much more littered the sandy shore of the riverbed.
“We conduct a census of the riverbed three times a year. And our most recent census was our highest count that we’ve ever seen,” Sarah Huntmacher of the San Diego River Park Foundation said.
The City in the middle of the clearing which started Tuesday as it estimates roughly 10-15 tons of debris have been cleared.
“Where we are actually going through did the abatement process. We provided everyone 24-hour notice,” Coopersmith said. cover vo Franklin - 00;00;52
“As you can see here we got our crane and some other packers and roll-offs get it out of here.”
ABC 10News spoke with people who lived here like Jake Weaver as they left the encampments on Tuesday.
“Anxious about where I’m going to sleep tonight and if I’ll have any of my things when I wake up,” Weaver said.
the city says he’ll have a place to stay.
it’s using a $3.6 million state grant to fund pathways to get those on the river into services and housing. It’s the same type of grant funding the City used to help those on the I-15 corridor.
This is the City’s first step in clearing out these encampments here along the San Diego Riverbed as they’re going to continue to move upriver. The City says they’re providing resources to folks using that state grant funding before they start clearing out these encampments.
“What that is an intensive case management through both housing navigation and street medicine to connect those individuals to the services that will help them end their cycle of homelessness,” Ketra Carter, City of San Diego’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department
Crews will be clearing out this section of the river until Friday. Weaver has high hopes for what’s next.
“I’d like to have my identifying paperwork, housing and some things to be able to get on my feet and get back to work. I’m not used to not working,” Weaver said.
The city added that it’s critical the encampment closure and clearing happen with king tides expected to occur next week.
