Homelessness has been a longstanding problem in San Gabriel, CA, and the surrounding communities. The rapid economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem in 2020. Communities are drained of resources, shelters are closing or decreasing their capacity and more people have lost their homes. If you’ve discovered a homeless encampment on your private commercial or residential property, your first step is to contact law enforcement and have the occupants removed. Once the people are off your property, law enforcement will require you to clean the area of the encampment. This is where our team at Eco Bear can help you. We offer thorough homeless encampment cleaning services in San Gabriel and the surrounding areas.
What a Homeless Encampment Is
A homeless encampment is more involved than one person sleeping on a bench. There’s also a distinction between a homeless family living on the street and a homeless encampment. A homeless encampment is usually defined as a gathering of a group of homeless people, which may include several or many individuals and separate families. These people create a tent city of sorts. The makeshift shelters may be occupied by a dozen to a few hundred people.
Hazards Found in Homeless Encampments
Homeless encampments encompass a wide variety of hazards. The crowding of people into unsanitary and unsafe temporary shelters often leads to a buildup of fecal matter and other human waste. Crowded conditions, the lack of plumbing and sewers also contribute to spreading of oral-fecal diseases, including hepatitis A, C. diff and E. coli. Lice, scabies, mites and other parasites associated with unsanitary and crowded conditions are also common. Rats, mice and other vermin are attracted to the spoiled food and waste in homeless encampments.
Some occupants of homeless encampments have drug or alcohol abuse disorders. They may leave drug paraphernalia, leftover drugs and empty bottles and other detritus in the encampment. While law enforcement may collect some materials, they may miss dangerous items that present puncture and wound hazards.
Homeless encampments facilitate the spread of diseases. Tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, HIV, influenza, impetigo, MRSA and COVID-19 could spread among the residents. Some of the viruses and bacteria causing these diseases can persist on surfaces for as long as 10 days. Our cleaners wear full personal protective equipment in order to avoid becoming infected during the cleanup.
How a Homeless Encampment Affects Your Property
The presence of a homeless encampment on your property stops you from being able to use the area. Some homeless people have addictions or mental health disorders that make them dangerous. If items are left behind, they might return. They may burglarize surrounding homes or businesses for cash, drugs or items they can sell.
The eyesore of a homeless encampment lowers your property value. If you’re a property owner and lease apartments, your tenants may not want to renew the lease. If you live on the affected property, you may have a hard time selling it. You or your tenants may feel endangered.
Homeless encampments also affect commercial properties. The occupants of the encampment may harass your employees or customers. People may not want to visit your business if they’ve been pestered or accosted by homeless encampment occupants. They may worry that their vehicle will be damaged or burglarized. Your business could be damaged or burglarized by homeless encampment occupants looking for food, shelter, money or items to sell. Your insurance rate could increase, and your property could be labeled a nuisance.
Impacts of Homeless Encampments on Neighborhoods
Homeless encampments also affect entire neighborhoods. It may not be safe for people to go for a walk. Children may not be allowed to play outside. People may be afraid to shop in or visit neighborhoods with homeless encampments. Property values could decrease for all types of businesses and residential properties.
Why Professional Homeless Encampment Cleaning Services Are Necessary
Most people don’t have the proper training to safely deal with all the hazards in a homeless encampment. Used syringes, drug works, feces, blood, vomit and rotted food are all dangerous to your health. Our cleaners wear face masks, goggles, shields, aprons, gloves and boots.
Home and property owners also usually lack the proper disinfecting agents to sanitize surfaces in homeless encampments. Porous surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt, wood and stone may harbor infectious bacteria and viruses for up to 10 days. We use hospital-grade disinfectants to kill these germs.
Our cleaners properly dispose of biological and medical waste. We sometimes find dead pets in homeless encampments. When this happens, we arrange for safe and proper removal and burial of the remains.
Homeless encampments can be large and extensive. There may be tons of debris left behind after the occupants leave the area. It can be too much for one or even a few people to handle. We have a large staff of skilled cleaners who can handle large homeless encampment cleaning in San Gabriel in just a few days.
How Eco Bear Cleans Homeless Encampments in San Gabriel
At Eco Bear, we have a four-step process for cleaning homeless encampments in San Gabriel. We begin with debris removal. The second step is handling biohazards with proper sanitizing and removal procedures. We then disinfect the entire property. The last step is restoration. When we finish the homeless encampment cleaning in San Gabriel, there’s no sign that the encampment ever existed on your property.
What Makes Eco Bear the Top Choice for Homeless Encampment Cleaning Services
We’re a local women- and veteran-owned company. We treat you and your property with respect. Our team of cleaners works as efficiently as possible to thoroughly clean the entire area. You’ll receive documentation for city code enforcement and insurance purposes.