City Cleans Two Homeless Encampments
Style Magazine Newswire | 11/17/2017, 7:02 a.m.
Mayor Sylvester Turner
A citywide group of employees and environmental contractors once again were out in full force deep cleaning two homeless encampments this week, which have more than doubled since August, when a temporary restraining order was put in place to block the city’s anti-encampment ordinance. Members of the city representing health, general services, police, fire, and the Mayor’s Office first visited the encampments and offered to store all personal possessions, before the cleanups took place. Teams from the Solid Waste Department and environmental contractors removed trash, debris and fecal matter in the areas deemed a public health nuisance near the Highway 59 underpass from Caroline Street to Almeda Road and Highway 59 underpass between Ruiz Street and Preston Street. All personal items were left alone; only trash was hauled away. Assistance was offered in case any of the homeless desired to seek shelter, but no one was forced to leave. Neighbors to the tent cities see this as a temporary fix and want to know what the city’s permanent solution is.
