Homeless people in California have been found living in precariously constructed riverside caves – outfitting their trash-filled dwellings with furniture and other supplies before being cleared by police and volunteers over the weekend.
The 20-foot-deep underground excavations are located along the Tuolumne River in Modesto, accessible by temporary stairs carved into the hillside.
“This particular area has been plagued by vagrant and illegal camps, which has raised concerns due to the fact that these camps are actually caves dug into the banks of the river,” the Modesto Police Department said in a statement.
During a sweep of the residence, 7,600 pounds of trash — filling two trucks and a trailer — was removed, police said.
Police and volunteers cleaned up a homeless cave camp in Modesto, California over the weekend. Modesto Police Department At least eight tunnels have been discovered. CBS13
A photo from inside one of the caves obtained by CBS 13 shows a table, crates filled with supplies and even several shelves with food and condiments. Another has a chair and other items in a trash can.
“We’re having a hard time figuring out how they got that much stuff in there, considering how difficult it is to get it up the hill and out,” Chris Guptill, a volunteer with the 9-2-99 Operation group, told the outlet.
Tracy Rojas, who lives near the underground camp, told CBS 13 that if the cave collapses, it will be “devastating.”
He said, some caves appeared complete with bedding as well as drugs and other contraband.
Residents were given notice before the police cleared the residence. Police told CBS13 they are working with local services to get residents into appropriate housing. Modesto Police Department
“You can see the hooks on the wall where they have bottles and stuff hanging,” Rojas said. “I think there should be more emphasis on the homeless. They are at a point where you can see they are desperate.”
Guptill said that they cleared eight caves during the cleanup – but he assumed the residents would return, as he had moved them before.
Police said they continue to work with local services to remove homeless people from the cave and into suitable housing.
Those living in cave camps, located in urban areas, have been informed that they will be cleared before police and volunteers move in.
“It’s been proven that people are going to dig this up, so I don’t think filling it with any material is going to work,” Guptill said after the last cleanup in November 2022 at the same location.
Local officials are concerned that erosion and floodwaters pose a danger to camp residents.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
