If you’re looking for help with homeless encampment cleaning in Desert Hot Springs California, you probably already know the best way to get it done is to work with a company that has experience with this type of cleaning. Homeless encampments are springing up all over the country, bringing with them all sorts of health and sanitization issues for the communities that they’re located in.

Who Lives in a Homeless Encampment?

All types of people live in homeless encampments. The population ranges from individuals or families who’ve run out of luck and lost their homes to people who have lived on the streets for years. The problem with homeless encampments is that there isn’t any way to keep them sanitary and clean. Many of the people who live in these encampments have every single thing they own in the world with them. There isn’t a place to get rid of garbage or waste. Because of this, the debris simply piles up. After a while, the entire encampment is overrun with refuse and becomes uninhabitable.

Depending on where the encampment is located, either the individuals or companies that own the land will pay to have the encampment moved and cleaned, or the city will most likely get involved if the encampment is located on public land. If the homeless encampment is located near you but on public land, you’ll need to reach out to the city to get cleanup started. If the homeless encampment is located on property that you own, you can reach out yourself to have the cleaning done. 

What Type of Waste Piles up in Homeless Encampments?

All types of debris and garbage pile up at homeless encampments.

Old Electronics/Bulk Items

As mentioned above, many homeless people bring all of their lives’ belongings with them to the encampments. In many cases, this includes bulky items like electronics, appliances, and any other item that would normally be left or found inside of a home. Often, these items no longer work, potentially creating a fire hazard by blocking off exits or walkways where people need to pass.

Food Waste

Many people who live in homeless encampments stock up on food that they hope to save. Since there’s no refrigeration or safe place to store the food, it ends up spoiling. Once it spoils, it attracts vermin like mice, rats, water bugs, and other pests. Those infestations bring with them their own health hazards and risks. 

Drug Paraphernalia

Many people who live in homeless encampments are struggling with drug addiction. Because of this, large amounts of drug paraphernalia is usually found within the encampment walls. This drug paraphernalia includes used needles and other implements and tools that are used to take drugs. 

Drug paraphernalia is often shared between encampment members, and those items are never sterilized. Once they’re done, the residents usually discard the used paraphernalia by simply tossing it to the side. This practice becomes dangerous to the community at large because people who are walking by can get stuck or exposed to these items. For this reason, drug paraphernalia can quickly become a source of disease spread.

What Are the Steps Involved in Homeless Encampment Cleanup?

There are many steps involved in making sure that homeless encampment cleanup goes smoothly. Some of those steps are listed below. 

• One of the first things that our teams will do is to clear the space of all bulk items that have been classified as garbage, making sure that we store each type of trash inside special bins.
• We’ll remove all drug paraphernalia and make sure that it’s properly disposed of so that it doesn’t hurt anyone in the vicinity.
• We’ll exterminate the area to make sure that we rid it of all types of pests and vermin that have most likely taken up residence in the encampment. Vermin are known carriers of disease, so this step is extremely important.
• We’ll remove all evidence of human waste in the area. Human waste is prevalent in homeless encampments since the residents have nowhere to use the bathroom. Human waste is considered biohazardous waste. When it comes to the disposal of biohazardous waste, cleaning companies need to make sure that each type of waste is stored in the appropriate biohazard transport bin. These bins are marked according to type of waste. This is to help prevent the spread of illness and disease.
• In certain cases, there may be orders in place that require that a cleaning company inventory the items on the encampment site as they go about their cleaning. These orders may be in place to help ensure that homeless residents don’t lose their belongings in a simple purge. This obviously would not apply to dangerous or illegal items.
• Once the area has been completely cleared, the cleansing, sanitization, and disinfection process will begin. We have the chemicals and tools necessary to make sure that every bit of a space is thoroughly washed down, helping to bring the area back to habitability. The disinfectants we use are high-grade and hospital-quality. This is the step that will help prevent the spread of viruses, bacteria, and blood-borne pathogens.

Homeless encampment cleanup has a lot of variables. The most important goal is making sure that the area is completely free of biohazardous waste and materials that can cause illness in the community. Whether you’re a business owner who needs to have an encampment cleared and cleaned before opening a new business, or you’re a homeowner who has an encampment on or near your property, we’re here to help. Our ultimate goal is to make sure that a clean and healthy environment is restored for all.