Over the last two years, an interagency partnership has led to the successful clean-up of 93 unauthorized encampments on city streets, freeway on/off ramps, and railway areas to address the public health, safety, and access concerns encampments pose to the community.

City departments are leading the effort in coordination with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Union Pacific Railroad.

In an effort to meet growing encampment clean-up needs, the city has taken three new steps to improve and expand its services:

1. Added $50,000 in funding for fiscal year 2020.
2. Identified chronically inhabited areas and developed a systematic clean-up schedule to address these locations.
3. Implemented two new options for reporting of encampments through its Illegal Encampment Clean-Up Request Web Form at santabarbaraca.gov/encampment and the Illegal Encampment Clean-Up Request Hotline, 805-564-5558.

Encampment clean-up requests made through the new web form or hotline will be logged, assessed, and dispatched according to size and threat to public health and safety. Requests made for clean-up locations that are not under the city of Santa Barbara’s jurisdiction will be forwarded to the corresponding agency responsible for that location.

Social services to those in need of housing are provided through the city’s Community Development Department. For more information on those services, contact Laura Dubbels, Housing and Human Services manager.

— Bryan Latchford for city of Santa Barbara.