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Before San Benito County began clearing homeless encampments along the San Benito River on May 5, the only homeless shelter in town was already nearly full.
The shelter is almost always at or near capacity. Temporary Assistant County Administrative Officer Manny Gonzalez told the county Board of Supervisors at a May 6 meeting that just four beds remained available in the H.O.M.E. Resource Center, which can accommodate up to 44 people.
Gonzalez said that on the first day of the clearing, which focused on the camps under and north of the Fourth Street bridge, just two people and their dogs were taken to the shelter. County officials had planned to add 12 beds to the shelter’s conference room ahead of the sweep, but those plans changed.
A source with knowledge of the situation who asked not to be identified confirmed to BenitoLink that instead of the conference room, the county is now considering adding new beds in the computer lab, which can accommodate six fewer beds. But that has not yet happened. As of May 7, the county can only count on the 44 beds of the shelter, six transitional housing units in the back, and five RVs available for temporary housing. Most of those 55 beds are currently occupied.
The county also has vouchers allowing people to stay up to three nights in local hotels. According to Gonzalez, two people went to hotels, but he also said the county is having problems with this alternative as well.
“Another issue that has come up, in talking to Health and Human Services staff, is that because of the ag industry, because it’s full season, we are having some issues identifying hotel rooms for some of these residents living in the river bottom,” Gonzalez said.
No one knows exactly how many people live or were living on the banks of the San Benito River. Estimates range from 40 to more than 100. And most of the camps, according to a census conducted by the Sheriff’s Office in November, are located south of the Fourth Street bridge, which will be cleared the week of May 12.
Besides those housed in the shelter or hotels, Gonzalez said, three more people “walked away.” Although Gonzalez only referred to seven people in his presentation, BenitoLink observed at least 10 people evicted from the vicinity of the bridge by 10:30 a.m. on the first day of the clearing.
On May 6, BenitoLink spoke with a man who identified himself as Steve, who had been displaced the previous day and said he slept in town in front of a business. He said he planned to stay in town.
Another person, who did not identify himself and said he had been living near the Fourth Street bridge, was heading back to the area the county was clearing. Asked if he was heading back to gather more of his belongings, he said the county had already removed everything.
A month-long operation
Integrated Waste Management Manager Celina Stotler said the clearing will take place in three phases along the river: phase one will run from Highway 156 to the Fourth Street bridge; phase two from the bridge to Nash Street; and phase three from Nash Street to Hospital Road.
Stotler said they expect to finish phase one this week and begin phase two on May 12. That segment will mostly be swept by the city of Hollister, as most of the riverbanks in that area fall under its jurisdiction. Phase two is expected to take at least two weeks.
The timeline for phase three remains uncertain, as it depends on how long phase two takes.
Stotler mentioned three challenges her company expects to encounter in the phase two: shelter for the companion animals living on the riverbanks; towing RVs located south of the bridge; and the homeless shelter’s schedule.
“The shelter is not open until 5 p.m,” she said. “So as we’re escorting individuals out of their encampments with their personal property, they have several hours waiting for the shelter to open.”
Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki, who has long advocated for the clearing and pushed to make it one of the county’s top priorities for 2025, has asked if there might be ways to reduce costs now that the operation is underway.
The county is spending more than $350,000 on the effort, which includes removing rusting vehicles and debris, dismantling tents and improvised shelters, storing residents’ belongings, and funding a full-time officer to prevent new encampments.
Stotler said the county is exploring ways to reduce costs. It is accepting donations and allowing evicted people to sign waivers if they decline storage for their belongings. She also said the county applied for a $200,000 CalRecycle grant, which they expect to hear back about in July.
Stotler and Gonzalez said they will give another update on the encampment clearing at the June 10 Board of Supervisors meeting.
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