The number of homeless people in Santa Ana, CA, is on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have created dire financial straits for many, leading to an increase in homelessness. When several homeless individuals or families gather in a single location and build temporary shelters, this is a homeless encampment. Once law enforcement is notified of the homeless encampment, they arrive at the scene and give the people just a few minutes to collect their personal items and vacate the area. After the people and law enforcement agents leave the scene, what’s left behind is a large amount of debris. Eco Bear is Santa Ana’s trusted provider of homeless encampment cleaning services. We offer homeless encampment cleaning on residential, industrial and commercial properties throughout the area.

What Is a Homeless Encampment

A homeless encampment is a gathering of homeless people, their pets, temporary shelters and personal belongings. Some homeless encampments are small, with 10 or 20 people. Others can be large, with 100 or more people. Some of the encampments are dense and occupy a small space, while others are spread over a large area. Many homeless encampments are well-hidden, but some are in plain sight. As a property owner, you have to work with law enforcement to have the people removed. Once they’re gone, the mess left behind is your responsibility. Law enforcement has no obligation to remove the debris left after the homeless encampment is dispersed.

Types of Hazards Found in Homeless Encampments

Homeless encampments contain many hazards. If the people had pets, there may be pet feces. The lack of plumbing and sewer lines mean that homeless encampments typically contain human feces and urine. Dirty diapers and menstrual care products may also be on the site. Feces, urine, blood and body fluids may harbor infectious viruses and bacteria. If you attempt to remove this waste yourself, you could be exposed to hepatitis A, B or C, HIV or E. coli. These are serious infections that may lead to severe illness or even death.

Many homeless people have an alcohol or drug abuse disorder. There may be liquor bottles in the homeless encampment. Broken glass increases your risk of a puncture wound if you try to clean it without the proper personal protective equipment and gear. Drug paraphernalia may contain blood, which puts you at risk of hepatitis B and C and HIV infection. There may also be leftover illegal drugs left in the encampment.

Homeless people often use fires and portable, gas-powered heaters for cooking and warmth. The flammable materials increase the risk of burns and unintended fires. Some additional hazards found in homeless encampments:

  • Dead pets
  • Household chemicals
  • Medical waste
  • Rotted food
  • Pests and vermin
  • Weapons and ammunition
  • Illegal wiring

Eco Bear’s cleaners are specially trained on how to safely deal with all of these hazards. Our training and personal protective gear allows us to properly collect and dispose of these waste products. If we find illegal drugs, medications or weapons in the homeless encampment, we work with Santa Ana law enforcement agents for safe and proper removal.

Why Homeless Encampments Need Professional Cleaning Services

The amount of debris left behind at a homeless encampment can be large. There’s no way one person or even a couple of people can efficiently get rid of it. The potential hazards put your health and safety at risk. Trying to do the cleanup yourself could result in an accidental needle stick or puncture. As a home or business owner, you may not have the time, energy, equipment, supplies or training to do this on your own. Our Eco Bear cleaners are fully trained on handling homeless encampment cleanups.

Time is another reason to choose Eco Bear’s Santa Ana homeless encampment cleaning services. Code enforcement may give you a firm deadline as to when the debris left behind from the homeless encampment must be cleared. If you do not have the site cleaned by the inspector’s deadline, you could end up facing fines or even jail time for the building and health code violations. Your insurance company may also require you to clear the debris by a specific deadline. If you do not have the site cleared by their deadline, they could drop your property insurance policy, putting you in serious financial jeopardy if someone gets injured or there’s a fire on your property.

How Eco Bear’s Homeless Encampment Cleaning Services Work

Once law enforcement evicts and removes the occupants of the homeless encampment on your property, Eco Bear comes in and assesses the situation. We provide you with a written estimate of the costs as well as details about exactly what we’ll do for you. In most cases, we begin the cleaning process within one or two business days. We handle all of the logistics of the cleanup, including getting dumpsters, arranging for recycling and proper disposal of biological and medical waste. We adhere to California’s and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on removing potentially infectious and hazardous materials. Our four-step process includes:

  • Removal of debris
  • Cleaning
  • Disinfection
  • Remediation of the site

What Makes Eco Bear the Right Choice for Santa Ana Homeless Encampment Cleaning Services

When you choose our Eco Bear cleaners for Santa Ana homeless encampment cleaning, you can count on us to arrive on time. Our team works as quickly as possible. No bit of debris is left at the site. Once we’re finished, there will be no evidence of the presence of a homeless encampment on your property. Our affordable rates and rapid response save you time and money and help you avoid fees and penalties from the city of Santa Ana. We respect your privacy and treat you and your property with respect.