Provides a response team for closing and cleaning up encampments and connecting those living in encampments to support services.
Service provides:
- assessment of encampments for risk level, working with partners to engage and clean up
The steps in responding to encampments are:
- calls (typically coming from 311) will go to Park Rangers
- Park Rangers determine if there are unsheltered people living there and the risk that an encampment poses to the surrounding community, considering factors such as fire risk and the presence of garbage, needles, or other hazardous materials
- if the camp is active and low / moderate risk, Park Rangers will notify street outreach teams to engage occupants of the encampment and offer a link to housing and support services
- once this effort has been made, occupants of the camp are given a notice to vacate and the encampment is cleaned up by city staff; city crews are working to address encampments as quickly as possible
- encampments assessed as high risk are typically expedited for closure