SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego has secured millions in grant money to help clear out encampments along the San Diego River.
The largest one is known as the “island” with about 40 inhabitants. It sits underneath Interstate 5 near SeaWorld Drive. It’s well hidden and hard to get to, which is why most people don't know it’s there.
Using a drone, CBS 8 could spot a collection of tents, furniture, and people cooking food. CBS 8 also recorded people being transported back and forth on a boat, making it appear more like a village than a homeless encampment.
"There's probably at least 40 people living on the island,” said Sarah Hutmacher, the Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego River Park Foundation.
She and her team visit the island twice a week, doing surveys and passing out care kits.
The foundation first recorded the encampment in the summer of 2020.
Though people have come and gone since then, Hutmacher says it's grown considerably. It's now the largest encampment along the San Diego River, contributing to an estimated 20 tons of debris.
"Right now, it's hard to tell how much of it is trash and how much of it is people's belongings, but we estimate that there's probably about 40,000 pounds of debris on the island," said Hutmacher.
Hutmacher says not only is the island an environmental concern, but a health hazard as well, especially during heavy rain.
“Anytime those things happen, the island is inundated, and people lose hopefully just their property, but it's also just a really dangerous place where there could be potential for even worse things to happen," said Hutmacher.
CBS 8 has covered rescues in the area before.
Now, efforts are underway to clean it up.
Collectively, the cities of San Diego and Santee, as well as the county, and the Department of Transportation received a $17 million state grant to address encampments along the San Diego River.
$3.6 million of that was allocated to the City of San Diego, a big portion of which will be used for outreach.
"The point is not just to get people out of the river bed and not just to clear an encampment, but to house individuals so that they become sheltered and then remain sheltered,” said Kendall Burdett, an outreach specialist with PATH, a nonprofit that works with the unsheltered.
His job is to help people on the island find alternative housing options and wraparound services, before any cleanup can begin.
“Because when people from the river bed are connected to housing and shelter that's appropriate for their situation, they don't come back,” said Burdett.
Outreach will continue over the next several weeks, with a full clean-up expected before the rainy season hits this fall.
In a statement, a City of San Diego spokesperson said:
"A comprehensive three phase plan to address encampments and house individuals experiencing homelessness near the San Diego River has recently gotten underway. This is made possible with funding from California’s Encampment Resolution Fund grant, which provides dedicated, ongoing and flexible financial support to ensure the appropriate housing resource is found. This is not just about clearing encampments and moving people to another neighborhood, the City is making sure individuals have housing options before removing unsafe and unsanitary encampments. Phase one involves addressing encampments under the I-5 near Friars Road, the City and its outreach partners have identified individuals there needing assistance and are actively working with them. Phase one is anticipated to be completed in Fall 2024. This is an effort across state and local government with many partners working in the riverbed."
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