Home » Santa Clarita News » Breaking News » Santa Clarita Sending Message To Homeless In River Wash
Santa Clarita and county officials took a different tact on homelessness Monday morning, offering services, cleaning up camps and this time, sending a message that Santa Clara River dwelling is no longer an option.
Homeless encampment in Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita Sending Message To Homeless In River Wash

Santa Clarita and county officials took a different tact for the homeless Monday morning, offering services, cleaning up camps and this time, sending a message that Santa Clara River wash dwelling is no longer an option.


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“The idea is to get these folks services,” said Gail Morgan, city of Santa Clarita spokeswoman, adding the city also is “creating an environment where it’s not feasible for people to be living in the Santa Clara River.”

A homeless center official said Bridge to Home, which runs the shelter, has participated in the outreach for the homeless with city and county officials. However, the change in approach Monday creates challenges to finding and addressing the needs of people who often try to stay “invisible” as much as possible, she said.

For the past several months, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have been conducting weekly “sweeps,” where officials have visited the 18-20 homeless camps identified by the city.

A Santa Clarita homeless camp

A Santa Clarita homeless camp

During those operations, which were done with coordination between the city, the Sheriff’s Department and county agencies, resources were offered, Morgan said.

The city has been watching the situation closely, as the population, more and more, has moved west from Canyon Country to the Valencia area, officials said. The city is working to not only offer services, but also address the criminal activity in the area and environmental concerns.

On Friday, the city posted a 72-hour notice of evacuation, and contracted with a construction crew for a one-time cost of nearly $10,000 to clear out the camps, as well as some of the brush that was used to support the illegal dwellings, Morgan said.

The idea was also to clean up the area to make it more attractive, and in accordance with state law, the city plans to store all materials removed from the wash for 90 days, she said.

There would be several operations like this going forward, she added.

On Friday, the city posted a 72-hour notice of evacuation, and contracted with a construction crew for a one-time cost of nearly $10,000 to clear out the camps, as well as some of the brush that was used to support the illegal dwellings, Morgan said.

On Friday, the city posted a 72-hour notice of evacuation, and contracted with a construction crew for a one-time cost of nearly $10,000 to clear out the camps, as well as some of the brush that was used to support the illegal dwellings, Morgan said.

“(Officials) say it’s cleanup, but basically they go in and they sweep the wash and they put people in the hospital and they put people in jails, and our goal is to keep that from happening,” said Tammy McGivern, spokeswoman for Bridge to Home.

Statistics have shown the local 54-bed seasonal homeless shelter has been operating near capacity since its opening just before Thanksgiving. Past estimates by officials have put the number of homeless people in the range of 1,500-2,000, but shelter officials and volunteers recently finished a new count.

As part of that effort, the shelter has been working with the county and the city to identify the shelter’s “most expensive” potential clients, and placing them in services.

The Santa Clarita Valley Emergency Winter Shelter is in the middle of a $1 million fundraising push to construct a permanent home. Many have said the shelter’s current location off Drayton Street in Newhall is the most likely spot for a long-term facility.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials used nearly two dozen personnel, starting at around 7 a.m. this morning, to assist in cleaning up the camps, said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Sheriff’s Station deputies coordinated Monday’s effort with city and county social services, as well as deputies from the COPS Bureau, Parks Bureau and reserve deputies, Dubin said.

Statistics have shown the shelter has been operating near capacity since its seasonal opening just before Thanksgiving. Past estimates by officials have put the number of homeless people in the range of 1,500-2,000, but shelter officials and volunteers recently finished a new count.

Statistics have shown the shelter has been operating near capacity since its seasonal opening just before Thanksgiving. Past estimates by officials have put the number of homeless people in the range of 1,500-2,000, but shelter officials and volunteers recently finished a new count. Here workers clean up an encampment Monday.

Deputies arrested one man, whose identity was not released, for a no-bail warrant, and also recovered stolen property and weapons, he said.

The social services agencies, such as the county’s Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services, were available near the Hart Park diamonds, behind the Mercedes Benz dealership in Valencia on Monday morning during the operation.

Julie Garcia, a county Department of Public Health worker, said no one had visited the command post area — where several other services also were available — in her first two hours Monday.

When asked if she’d given out any vaccines, which was part of her charge this morning, she just shook her head.

“I’m sure word got around,” she said, referring to the law enforcement officials.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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Santa Clarita Sending Message To Homeless In River Wash

23 comments

  1. There should be absolutely no services provided to the homeless other than cleaning them out of the city for good. If the city makes it easy for the homeless, they will continue to come. Look at San Bernardino!!!! They make are very easy on their homeless and the homeless population is rising extremity fast. Santa Clarita is a great family community with great business and it would be horrible to see people and buisness leave due to this issue.

    • @andrew Your lack of compassion is horrible. Just because a community doesn’t suit up to your needs, doesn’t mean you throw them away. You’re very short sighted on a huge, systematic problem that doesn’t only affect scv, but everywhere in the u.s.!!!!!!!/

      • Well gotta say living by the area and having them walking though our devolpment and on every corner fork Von’s to in and out, with signs asking for food and there all smoking cigs and they come though Bridgeport devolpment using the sides of our yards to piss and poop.
        Casing the neighborhoods.
        They prey on people’s compassion’s and belive make very good money with there panhandling.

        Go take a walk under the bridge from chi chi’s to the other side and see them living like trolls under the bridge is quit a awaking.
        I been in highway reconstructiom for 25 years and have seen it all.
        Don’t be fooled by there sad looks and dirty close, they pay on your compassion to help. Don’t , bout time the Sherriff’s and city did some thing.

      • Unfortunately most mental health issues are drug or alcohol related these days. And that, I feel, is the result of the disintegrating family setting. Most parents these days are busy trying to be their child’s friend instead of their parent. If you chose to bring a child into this world then accept the responsibility of raising a productive human and make it happen.

    • I was actually one of those homeless people in the wash andrew. Some people go down their to hide from law enforcement very little tho but some people out their are kids that got kicked out and some kids are being abused by their parents so a safe place like a homeless shelter is fantastic they can get jobs stay away from drugs and better their lives. Your just a heartless person. And that’s sad some of those homeless people are the sweetest people I have ever met they will do anything to help a friend. It sounds like your just going off the stereotype of a homeless person.

    • you should try and be homeless. I recently lost everything and I’m not one of the drug addicts rip off artists or con artist that you normally see. I am legitimately looking for work and cannot find it because I am homeless. people will not give a homeless person a chance not all people in the wash are out to rip you off or steal from your house or poop in your yard. some of us are legitimately actually in a financial crisis and do need help

    • This for everyone who hates and dislikes the Homeless people, guess what the Homeless people are human beings with feelings; also you have no sense of morals or compassion what if one of your family members was homeless would you want some one to treat them badly or throw away like a piece of garbage no you would not; so before you start bad mouthing the homeless people just remember that it could possible be a member of your family that is homeless so treat the homeless people with dignity and respect.

    • This is to all of Santa Clarita and Canyon Country and surrounding areas; let me say this and be done with it: everyone of you would rather be rude and believe that all of the Homeless people don’t deserve to be treated with respect and dignity that is where all of you are wrong all the Homeless people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity just like everyone else who lives in the Santa Clarita and Canyon Country and surrounding areas; all you people know how to do is bad mouth the homeless people and treat them like garbage, WAKE UP PEOPLE THE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE HUMAN BEINGS WITH FEELINGS WE GET OUR FEELING HURTS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PERSON TO BE HOMELESS; BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE REFUSE TO TAKE 20 MINUTES OUT OF YOU TIME TO TALK TO A HOMELESS PERSON TO FIND OUT HOW THEIR SITUATION HAPPENED; INSTEAD YOU PEOPLE WOULD RATHER BAD MOUTH THEM AND BE RUDE AND DISRESPECTFULL AS YOU POSSIBLE CAN BE: WOULD YOU WANT SOMEONE TO TREAT YOU WITH DISREPSECT AND BE RUDE TO YOU, A MAJORITY OF YOU PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS AND YOU CALL YOURSELVES CHRISTIANS YET DURING THE ENTIRE WEEK YOU PEOPLE THROW THAT OUT THE WINDOW AND ARE JUST AS RUDE AS YOU CAN BE; QUESTION. WAS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR EVER RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL TO ANY ONE WHEN HE WALKED ON THIS EARTH 2,000 YEARS AGO DURING HIS THREE YEAR MINISTRY NO HE WAS NOT; HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT DISRESPECT IN THE BIBLE EITHER, HE TOLD US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER EVEN AS HE LOVED US HE ALSO SAID TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER AND TO DO GOOD UNTO THOSE WHO DISPITEFULLY USE US AND PERSECUTE US JESUS ALSO SAID THAT WE ARE TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES. JESUS ALSO SAID THIS HIM THAT WOULD ASK OF THEE AND HIM THAT WOULD BARROW FROM THEE TURN THOU NOT AWAY; IF SOME ONE ASK YOU TO HELP THEM GET MOTEL ROOM FOR THE NIGHT AND SOMETHING TO EAT JESUS SAYS THAT WE ARE TO HELP THEM DO JUST THAT; NOT TURN THAT PERSON/PERSONS AWAY.

    • You are a very inconsiderate individual. Anybody can become homeless at any time.

  2. No , I agree with the gentlemen!! I moved to SCV, to raise my family in a good area.. Now it’s become to look like LA. I do feel bad but the safety of my children are more important!!!

  3. I’m more upset that, in reading the article, it seems this didn’t become a problem until the movement took the homeless from Canyon Country to Valencia. Now that the homeless are moving west it becomes a matter worth addressing.

  4. Too little too late. Lock up your stuff. The homeless “victims” will be out robbing and stealing to get their camp up and running again. They walk into stores and steal anything they want despite having money that was given to them by the ignorant citizens of this town. Settle in for the influx of homeless folks.

  5. Actually, Samantha Andrew is correct. If you read the article it cites homeless being arrested for outstanding warrants and concealing weapons, these are not the type of people I want in my community! You hear people explain that the homeless are unaware of services available to them, this is not true. Most shelters dont allow the use of narcotics so abusers would rather live in a river wash. When you think about it we are doing them a favor by bulldozing them out of the wash, if there is a flood they could be injured or killed.

  6. a lot of the homeless are homeless by choice. There are plenty of services available for them all over Southern California.
    Having them hanging around the community only invites trouble .. I walk daily on jakes way, the other morning I hear noise coming from the wash, I walked up the embankment to see a large group of guys at a encampment …. This bothered me as they are directly across the a large apartment complex that has a lot of children the same children I see walking to school right by them. How do we know NONE of those males are molesters? We don’t, get rid of the all.

  7. I agree with Andrew & Lee. We left LA because of rising crime down there. Now my husband and I commute 2 hours each way so we can provide a safe environment for our boys to grow up in. So no, we don’t want this in our back yards! They seized stolen property and weapons from these people. These are not the type of people we want roaming our neighborhoods and hanging around our children’s schools. This country is bending over backwards to give as much as possible to the “have-nots” – funding for numerous programs, charities, HEALTH CARE, heck, now it’s easier than ever for criminals to stay out of jail with this wonderful Prop 47.
    I’m glad they cleared them out, and now we have to be vigilant about making all of SCV an unattractive place for homeless people who choose not to get help.

  8. i was recently at the McDonald’s near Pavillions and a female homeless obvious heroin addict with tattoes , pink hair, hickies and track marks was begging for money near the window when you pay for your food! It was frightening to me and my young children!put them in Goodwill homeless shelter in L.A.! Rehab them! Get them out of our city!! They probably all came from Ventura when they kicked them out of their city!

  9. funny thing it was OK they were in Canyon Country, but now that they have moved into VALENCIA. well now that is another matter…..lol

    So this is my question, where would the city like to see them go to. They are kicking them out of the river but don’t have a option for them.

    For all of you that think the homeless are discusting, just remember you can and are just one step away. It can happen to you also. So get off of your soap box and try to make this city a better place to live. I don’t want to live where people have no compassion for there fellow neighbor. This city seems to have plenty of money for planting new trees doing road work, again and again but never any money to help the homeless or even hire more police officers to improve our traffic. They just have money to DECORATE

    So shut up and get off of your thrones

  10. Frustrating to see so many comments from our neighbors who really don’t have a grasp on the real issues here. MANY of the homeless actually have jobs; they just don’t make enough to secure their own place ‘yet’. Are there drug and crime issues that originate in ‘the wash’? Certainly – but there are also homeless who volunteer at our area churches, businesses, and even help out at the Bridge to Home shelter itself.

    One of the things we (and a refreshing number of other families) do on a regular basis is serve our homeless brothers and sisters at Bridge to Home. Our kids have been an active part of the volunteer team since they were seven and eight years old. The vast majority of the homeless there are extremely grateful for the food, temporary shelter, and donated items, and express that appreciation on a regular basis.

    When you hear their stories first-hand, you get a sense of just how close so many of us are to being in their exact same predicament. Are there homeless who abuse the system? Sure. Are there homeless who commit crimes? Certainly. But in my experience, there is a much greater population of folks out there who just need a compassionate helping hand, to assist them in their time of need.

    Let’s be a part of the solution. Don’t just point an accusing finger. DO something. You may even discover it makes you feel better about yourself, by setting a better example for your kids.

  11. Have you seen the price of apartments in Santa Clarita? Have you seen how much people get paid for minimum wage jobs in the SCV? How close is your family to being homeless? The accidental death of a breadwinner? A catastrophic illness? Losing your job? Did you see that our one homeless shelter is operating at capacity? What would you suggest people do who can’t afford our exorbitant apartment prices but need to work here? I guess “blessed are the poor” only sounds good in church. In real life, it is “get these losers out of my town.” Yes, we have homeless in our community too. We are Americans – there are homeless all over our country. All of you who want to kick these people out are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

  12. People need to be aware that the Homeless people are human beings just like the rest of you, yet; you people turn us away when the Shelters are closed for the Summer, when we say hi to you or good morning or good afternoon you people don’t even respond, here is one for you people: when two honest Homeless people ask you for help so they can get a motel room for one night, you tell them you can’t help them; and those two people are being totally honest, but yet; you people still think they are lying, when you see or hear two homeless people being honest about something don’t be afraid to help. a lot of you people who live in the Santa Clarita Valley and go to Church on Sunday a lot of you are not aware of one of the examples that Jesus set well here it is; Jesus said Him that asks of thee turn thou not away if some one asks you to a mile with them go two miles with them. Live by that example that Jesus set forth in the Bible/Word of God. Take the time to talk to a Homeless person be a friend don’t act like they don’t exists a Homeless person has feelings just like you do they are human beings. Be a friend to a Homeless person take the time to try and help; if you were Homeless yourself would want some one to help you, the answer to that is yes you would.

  13. SCV stop fighting eachother & start fighting the policymaking that have forced rents to be high & taxes to be astronomically high!

    Fight the drug dealers & the cartels. Fight the gangs, fight aginst child abuse & human trafficking
    Fight aginst the Democrats & their constant need for funds that never end up in the right hands. Fight corruption, fight election fraud.

    No one wants homeless, no one wants to BE homeless. Diseases are going to spread, crime will rise, we won’t feel safe in our beds. We all want safety, security & a nice home.

    Inorder to do that we have to direct our frustration at the city council & STOP voteing for Democrats.

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.