Homelessness in Malibu, CA, is on the rise. This unfortunate circumstance is related to many issues, including high costs for housing, insufficient numbers of affordable rental units, the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic and generally low wages that don’t cover the cost of an apartment or mortgage. Mental health conditions, including drug and alcohol abuse, also contribute to the number of homeless people in Malibu. When several homeless people or families gather in one place and set up temporary shelters, this is referred to as a tent city or homeless encampment. Eco Bear is an experienced team of professional cleaners offering homeless encampment cleaning services in Malibu. We’re fully licensed, bonded and insured to perform complete homeless encampment remediation on residential, industrial and commercial properties in California.
What a Homeless Encampment Is
A homeless encampment is a gathering of unrelated homeless individuals as well as families. The gathering includes the setup of temporary or makeshift shelters. These shelters may be made from a variety of materials, including tarps, tents, plywood, cardboard, metal and more. Some homeless encampments include illegal connections to the utility poles in the area. A homeless encampment may be small and dense or large and spread out. Some homeless encampments include hundreds of individuals.
When a Homeless Encampment Can Be Cleaned
When a property owner contacts law enforcement to remove the homeless individuals living in the encampment, the occupants are given only a few minutes to grab what they can carry. Law enforcement often arrives without notice or warning to the homeless residents or to the property owner. Once the homeless individuals have left the property, law enforcement gives you a deadline for getting the debris off your private property. It’s your responsibility to arrange for Malibu homeless encampment cleaning. The amount of debris and the potentially dangerous items within the encampment mean that it’s not a good idea to try to do this yourself.
Types of Hazards in a Homeless Encampment
Homeless encampments contain biological, chemical and physical hazards. You should not try to clean an homeless encampment because you never know what type of hazards are on the site. Some of the types of biological hazards that may be present in a homeless encampment include:
- Urine and feces
- Blood
- Vomit
- Dead pets and other animals
- Pests, including lice, mites, fleas and cockroaches
Blood and body fluids have the potential to spread infectious diseases. If the blood or body fluid enters your eyes, nose, throat or a cut in your skin, you could become infected. Some bacteria and viruses live on surfaces for seven to 10 days. If you touch a contaminated item in a homeless encampment, you’re at risk of infection from:
- Hepatitis A, B or C viruses
- HIV
- Tuberculosis
- MRSA
- Plague
- Encephalitis
Homeless encampments may contain hazardous chemicals. The homeless individuals may use various fuels for cooking and heat. They may have alcohol or illegal drug in the encampment.
Physical hazards may also be present in a homeless encampment. Some of them include:
- Illegal wiring that’s not up to code
- Broken glass
- Drug paraphernalia
- Shards of metal, wood and other sharp materials
Why Professional Cleaning Is Needed for Malibu Homeless Encampments
A typical home or property owner doesn’t have the right training to deal with the biological, chemical or physical hazards in a homeless encampment. It only takes one error to end up injuring yourself and potentially getting infected with a harmful bacteria or virus.
Mot property owners also don’t have the correct professional-grade disinfectants, biohazard disposal bags and access to medical waste incineration for items contaminated with blood and body fluids. Eco Bear has the training, equipment, supplies and experience to deal with all of these hazards.
There may be a lot of debris left at a homeless encampment. When code or law enforcement gives you a deadline, missing it could result in hefty fines or even jail time. Eco Bear has a big crew of trained cleaners who are ready to arrive at your property so that you can avoid civil penalties related to debris leftover from a homeless encampment on your Malibu property. The logistics of a large cleanup would also be a challenge. Eco Bear’s connections to get many dumpsters for waste and recycling and for medical and other hazardous waste disposal make quick work of debris removal. We adhere to all California public health requirements for safe disposal of hazardous materials.
Leaving debris behind makes your property look unkempt and unsafe. If the encampment is on a commercial property, customers might avoid patronizing you. Employees may feel unsafe. On a residential property, you may fear accidental punctures or other injuries from the hazards in the debris. Your neighbors may become angry if debris is left on the site for too long after homeless occupants leave the area. The debris may cause property values to drop. Leftover debris also attracts vermin and increases the risk of criminal activities.
What To Expect From Eco Bear’s Malibu Homeless Encampment Cleaning Services
When you contact us for Malibu homeless encampment cleaning services, you’ll receive a rapid response. We’re able to come out to inspect the area within one to three days. Most cleanups are performed within a few days, too. We provide you with documentation of the site before and after and how we dispose of the debris. You can use this for legal and insurance purposes. We treat you, your property and guests with respect. All of our services are competitively priced. Our attention to detail and professionalism make Eco Bear the right choice for homeless encampment cleaning in Malibu.