A day after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on homeless encampments, Central Coast agencies are in the process of removing one near the Santa Maria Riverbed.
According to Santa Barbara County officials, crews that began clearing the encampment Thursday were scheduled long before the governor’s order.
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County officials along with the city of Santa Maria have been working together the past nine months to remove it.
Santa Barbara County Supervisor, Bob Nelson, has been leading the effort. He said crime has been an ongoing issue in the area, which prompted the clear-out.
“There is often physical violence, there's death, there's human trafficking, there's dealing with drugs as well as widespread diseases,” Nelson said.
Nelson said people living in the area were given 72 hours notice before crews got started.
“So it's been fairly methodical. We're doing it in quadrants. So we're doing a certain areas at a time. We've offered to store their belongings, we've offered to provide them housing. Some of them have taken advantage of that and are willing to participate with the services,” Nelson said.
The County plans to complete the process by October.
