Two people with some belongings walk toward county staff and spoke to them for several minutes during the riverbed cleanup on May 5. Photo by Noe Magaña.
Two people with some belongings walked toward the county staff and spoke to them for several minutes. Photo by Noe Magaña.

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On May 5, a man who identified himself as Steve was instructed by county officials to leave his encampment along the San Benito River in Hollister. He stuffed what he could carry of his belongings into a black plastic trash bag, a carry-on suitcase, a backpack and a gym bag and walked away from the space he had called home under the Fourth Street Bridge. He was not sure where he would sleep that night. 

“We are not bothering anybody,” he told BenitoLink after he crossed the bridge toward downtown Hollister. “Perhaps I’ll sleep in front of the City Hall and see what they have to say.”

Wearing an Atlanta Braves cap backwards and camouflaged jacket, Steve was one of about 10 people evicted from the encampments along the San Benito River. 

A man who identified himself as Steve walked across the Fourth Street bridge after he was told by county staff he could not live in the riverbed. Photo by Noe Magaña.

San Benito County has been preparing for this sweep for the past six months. It’s spending more than $350,000 to haul away rusting cars and debris, dismantle tents and improvised shelters, put residents’ belongings into storage and evict the people who have been living in the riverbed. The funds also cover the salary of a full-time officer who will patrol the area in an effort to prevent future camps from forming.

The sweep began around 9 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies, San Benito County Integrated Waste Management officials and a private contractor informed residents they had to leave and began clearing tents and trash. 

Toys, mattresses, blankets, clothes, office chairs and carpets were also removed.

A Tucker employee fills a dump truck with items belonging to people who lived under the Fourth Street bridge. Photo by Noe Magaña.
A Tucker employee fills a dump truck with items belonging to people who lived under the Fourth Street bridge. Photo by Noe Magaña.

Those who had been residing beneath the bridge complied and left without confrontation while BenitoLink was there. Two people loudly voiced their disapproval, but their remarks were not directed at any staff member. 

Several people took what they could carry and disappeared into the riverbed while BenitoLink was present.

Two of the 10 people BenitoLink witnessed being evicted accepted help from social workers. In addition to a handful of beds at the H.O.M.E. Resource Center, which can now house up to 67 people and is almost always near capacity, officials are handing out vouchers that allow people to stay at local hotels for up to three nights. But, as county officials have acknowledged, this will not be enough to shelter the dozens of people who currently live on the riverbank between Fourth Street and Hospital Road.

A woman who identified herself as Ana, said she has lived along the riverbed on and off for five years and told BenitoLink she felt hopeful, despite being displaced. It wasn’t the first time authorities had asked her to leave. But this time, she said, she was ready. She accepted the county’s offer of help, describing it as the push she needed to start fresh and reunite with her children.

“I want a new beginning, and I trust the county,” she said, adding that she didn’t know yet where the social workers would take her.

A woman who identified herself as Ana says she is grateful for the opportunity to find a new place to live. Photo by BenitoLink staff.

Reporter access

BenitoLink reporters attempted to cover the cleanup from the riverbed but were told by San Benito County Public Information officer Rosemerry Dere they would not be allowed to stay in the area. Dere cited privacy and safety concerns. 

“While we recognize the important role of the media, we must prioritize the safety of our vulnerable populations, our employees, contractors and the integrity of the operation,” she told BenitoLink on the morning of the clean up. 

A few weeks earlier, the county had agreed to allow a reporter to accompany staff conducting outreach. However, on the day of the outreach operation, the reporter was told she could not tag along.

  • A woman living near the Fourth Street bridge takes some of her belongings when the county staff were cleaning the area. Photo by Noe Magaña.
    A woman living near the Fourth Street bridge took some of her belongings while county staff were clearing the area. Photo by Noe Magaña.
  • A woman living under the Fourth Street bridge hauls some of her belongings as the county begins the riverbed homeless encampment clean up. Photo by Noe Magaña.
    A woman living under the Fourth Street bridge hauls some of her belongings as the county begins the riverbed homeless encampment cleanup. Photo by Noe Magaña.
  • San Benito County contracted with Tucker to clean encampments in the San Benito riverbed. Workers gathered most of people's belongings and placed it in one area. Photo by Noe Magaña.
    San Benito County contracted with Tucker Construction to clear encampments in the San Benito riverbed. Workers gathered most of people’s belongings and placed it in one area. Photo by Noe Magaña.
  • A woman who ran into the area where the county was clearing homeless encampments later walked away north of the bridge with some belongings. Photo by Noe Magaña.
    A woman who ran into the area where the county was clearing homeless encampments later walked away north of the bridge with some belongings. Photo by Noe Magaña.
  • A woman who was living in the riverbed speaks to county staff. Photo by Noe Magaña.
    A woman who was living in the riverbed speaks to county staff. Photo by Noe Magaña.
  • County officials speak with an unhoused man that lived on the riverbanks.
    County officials speak with an unhoused man that lived on the riverbanks. Photo by BenitoLink staff.
  • Toys, mattresses, blankets, clothes, office chairs and carpets were removed from the area.
    Toys, mattresses, blankets, clothes, office chairs and carpets were removed from the area. Photo by BenitoLink staff.
  • The county paid more than $200,000 to the Bay Area contractor Tucker Construction to clear the riverbed.
    The county paid more than $200,000 to the Bay Area contractor Tucker Construction to clear the riverbed. Photo by BenitoLink staff.
  • An officer speaks with a man who lived under the Fourth Street Bridge.
    An officer speaks with a man who lived under the Fourth Street bridge. Photo by BenitoLink staff.
  • Sheriff’s deputies, San Benito County Integrated Waste Management officials and a private contractor clearing the tents beneath the Fourth Street Bridge.
    Sheriff’s deputies, San Benito County Integrated Waste Management officials and a private contractor clearing the tents beneath the Fourth Street bridge. Photo by BenitoLink staff.

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Noe Magaña is a BenitoLink reporter. He began with BenitoLink as an intern and later served as a freelance reporter. He has also served as content manager and co-editor. He experiments with videography...