Cleaning up an area that has been used as a previous homeless encampment involves a great deal of work, skill and expertise. This is not a situation where you can simply call in a few people who have little to no experience in biohazard remediation and have them clean the area as they would probably clean their own homes. Instead, you need a company that specializes in the type of clean-up that gets an area completely clean, one that allows for both cleaning and thorough disinfecting. Otherwise, the building won’t be safe for anyone else to stay in.

Homeless Encampments Often Involve More Than Just Dirt

By their very nature, homeless encampments have a tendency to be quite dirty. It’s relatively easy to understand why this happens. Sadly, those who are homeless don’t have the same type of access to showers and laundry facilities that most people enjoy. That means the homeless are often forced to wear the same clothes for days on end. In some cases, they wear virtually all of the clothes in their possession at one time. This is especially true in cooler months. During the warmer times of the year, when regular personal hygiene is even more important, they may not have access to such things on a regular basis. In fact, it’s likely that they won’t have access to them in any appreciable capacity. Even if they could find a location where showers and laundry are available, there are usually fees for such things. They may not have a way to routinely pay for these services. Since many of them have learned the importance of keeping their possessions on their person in order to avoid theft, they may also be reluctant to allow their clothing and other items out of their sight while getting cleaned up. 

Human Waste May Be Involved

These encampments involve relatively high concentrations of individuals who don’t have regular access to facilities that allow them to maintain proper personal hygiene. However, the problem can and typically does run much deeper than merely involving an inability to wash clothes or take frequent showers. There may also be a shortage of bathroom facilities, meaning that individuals who stay in these types of encampments may be using the bathroom without proper disposal. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to find buckets that have been turned into makeshift toilets or to see solid human waste littering the area. Moreover, it’s a fairly common practice for individuals who are homeless to urinate in the same area where they’re staying. They may have an area that is designated for such things or they may simply urinate on an area that’s close by. In most cases, it involves urinating on a wall, sidewalk or something similar. Therefore, it’s imperative that a biohazard remediation company be involved in cleaning up these encampments due to the presence of bodily fluids that are almost certain to exist in rather high concentrations, often in multiple areas.

Drug Use Is Often Involved

In addition to the things that have already been discussed, it’s also important to realize that a number of homeless individuals also use some type of illicit drugs. Many of them do so as a means of trying to cope with the very idea of being homeless in the first place. In some cases, the illicit drug use involves the use of needles which may then be thrown off to the side in a rather careless fashion. This alone makes the area uninhabitable for anyone unless it’s properly cleaned and disinfected. The thing that many people don’t often consider is the fact that whenever needles are involved, there is always a certain amount of blood. This means that diseases can be transmitted from person to person by either sharing needles or coming into direct contact with contaminated blood. Even in microscopic amounts, it is sometimes possible for certain diseases to be transmitted. Therefore, simply cleaning a homeless encampment is not enough. Instead, it must be cleaned and disinfected in much the same way as a crime scene would be. 

Other Potential Issues

Sadly, there are other instances where it is necessary to contact a biohazard remediation company. Large homeless encampments may involve tense situations between certain individuals staying there. In some cases, these issues can escalate to a point of extreme violence, even to the point of homicide. At other times, individuals staying in these locations may become so despondent about their situation that they decide to take their own lives. In either case, it’s crucial that a company be called who has the experience and the knowledge required to deal with such circumstances. 

The problem with homelessness in the United States has unfortunately escalated to a tipping point, often resulting in the existence of large homeless encampments. This is a problem experienced by almost every major city in the country. In some parts of the US, such as the area near Banning, California, the problem is even more severe. The sad truth is that even in smaller towns, there is a very real problem with homelessness. No one would argue that there are a number of issues surrounding the homeless epidemic. Many of them are directly related to humanitarian issues. Unfortunately, some of them are related to the very real need to properly clean and disinfect the area as quickly as possible. That is precisely where a biohazard remediation company with an excellent reputation comes in. It is a job that must be done correctly and efficiently, as there are no “second chances.” It’s equally important that the company in question use discretion when working on a job such as this. That’s why choosing the right one is so important.