The Importance of Professional Homeless Encampment Cleanup, Explained

Are you in need of a homeless encampment area to be removed from your neighborhood? Do you fear that there are biohazardous materials throughout the area that need to be disposed of properly? If so, then you need to invest in homeless encampment cleanup right away.

Homeless encampments can quickly become a breeding ground for hazardous waste. The area must be inspected thoroughly, the hazardous materials are collected, and then is given the proper means of transportation to a waste excavation site. It takes a trained staff to do this properly.

See below for an in-depth guide on the importance of hiring a professional homeless encampment cleanup service for your needs.

1. Experience and Training

Unfortunately, a homeless encampment area is littered with all kinds of bio-hazardous materials that need to be disposed of. Government agencies, law enforcement officials, and first responders know this all too well.

Such materials include urine, trauma scene debris, drug equipment, drugs, human excrement, sharps, soiled clothing, and much more. It can also contain hazardous waste like petroleum or aerosols.

These days, that isn't the only threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on how quickly variants can spread in tight groups of people. Especially in an unkempt environment such as a homeless encampment area.

Needless to say, you need someone that's trained to properly handle a homeless encampment cleanup. Here at HCI Environmental, we train our entire staff to handle things such as chemical spill response, lab packing, trauma scene cleanup, bloodborne pathogens, COVID decontamination, and 40-hour HAZWOPER.

Thanks to homeless encampment cleanup crews like ours, this responsibility won't fall on your staff. Instead, we'll use all the proper resources and equipment to collect, package, and transport all dangerous materials/waste to the proper channels.

We want to help you turn this situation into a positive and pleasant area in your district. That all starts with hiring the right service for the job.

2. Awareness of the Biohazardous Dangers

To leave this responsibility to your staff would be a mistake. Not only are they untrained on how to properly dispose of hazardous chemicals and materials, but they also aren't aware of some of the biggest threats that await them during homeless encampment cleanup.

These days, it comes as no surprise that the top threat is COVID-19. The lack of physical distancing on homeless encampments, as well as their refusal to wash their hands or wear face masks, has caused the disease to run wild.

Another growing concern is the wildfire spread of typhus, which is (for the most part) transferred and carried from insects that go from living on rats to living on humans. Fleas and lice have a heyday on homeless encampment sites and are starting to spread this deadly disease throughout communities all over the USA.

Fires are also a legitimate threat in homeless encampment areas, as well as the spread of respiratory diseases that thrive in close quarters. This includes influenza, diphtheria, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.

Combine those four respiratory diseases with the growing concern over COVID-19 variants, and your community might have a serious problem on its hands. That's why it's important to shut down and dispose of homeless encampment sites.

3. Empowers Change

Many homeless people, they've suffered traumatic experiences such as losing their homes, their loved ones, their jobs, and so on. Such desperate times have forced them to resort to unethical methods of survival, such as drug abuse, setting up shop in a homeless encampment site, etc.

Studies have shown that homeless people don't respond well to motivation (encouragement from people other than themself). However, it shows positive results when they summon the change within themselves.

Believe it or not, homeless encampment cleanup can help spark that change. With no encampment site to go back to, it could encourage them to go get help for their substance abuse, get a job, etc.

Some will choose to set up shop elsewhere, but even the smallest number of homeless people looking for change can spark significant improvement in your community.

4. Proper Documentation

As you might expect, there are some technicalities and regulations in place that cover how, when, and who should be organizing a homeless encampment cleanup.

The city should prioritize the cleanup of encampments on any city property, such as local parks. However, for the encampment sites on private property, the owner of that property would be financially responsible.

All of this requires a thorough analysis of the impact these camps have on the environment around them. That includes where the camp is located, the hazards it causes, and alternative shelter options to place the homeless folk into. Here at HCI Environmental, we can help you get all the proper paperwork in place.

5. Defy the Statistics

Despite what some may think, California is not the only state that struggles with high amounts of homeless camps. It's a problem that many cities deal with throughout the USA. This includes cities such as:

• New York City

• Seattle

• Tampa

• Kansas City

The list goes on and on. By hiring a professional homeless encampment cleanup crew, your community can spark a method for change. We can curb the statistics together, taking down one camp at a time.

Invest in Homeless Encampment Cleanup for Your Community

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on homeless encampment cleanup and the benefits it can offer your staff/community, be sure to use this information to your advantage.

Be sure to read this article for more information on how to clean a meth contaminated house and why you should hire a professional service for that as well.

For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out to us via phone at 951-280-0298 and we will be happy to assist you further.