‘Makeshift tents and cardboard boxes': Kern County homeless shelter director discusses encampment sweeps
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield and Kern County are on the forefront of clearing homeless encampments and you can submit an encampment complaint to code enforcement.
The question still looms…what defines a homeless encampment?
Homeless shelters around town are routinely full, depending on the time of year. In fact, the chair of the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative says shelters are full upwards of 95% every single day.
'In this county we work really diligently to disband those encampments, so I think we're moving in a good speed, regarding encampments,' said Carlos Baldovinos, the chair of Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative and the Executive Director at The Mission shelter.
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He defines encampments as, 'Makeshift tents and cardboard boxes. In essence that is in turn an encampment because you have 2, 3 4, 5, 8 people living alongside of that with really no public facilities with restrooms and showers and such,' said Baldovinos.
A government code passed on Dec. 18, outlawing any outdoor sleeping or encampments on public property.
Through 'Measure N' funds — the city has been able to relaunch the Bakersfield Police Department's impact team and launched Code Enforcement Rapid Response Teams — who address encampments around the city.
The most recent encampment clearing, was in April across the Kern County riverbed. BPD reported 31 encampments were cleared, 28 people arrested, five people were cited, three people accepted shelter placements with flood ministries and 27 dogs were taken into protective custody.
The Brundage Lane Navigation Center alone, has found permanent housing for more than 475 people since 2018.
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