Disorderly Homeless Encampments in Eureka, California

Abstract

This case study describes an initiative to address a severe homelessness problem in a Northern California city that had persisted for at least 30 years. The unsheltered homeless people were of five major types: the indigent, the drug addicted, the mentally ill, criminals, and people who came to work in the then illegal marijuana industry. The focus of the project was the multiple homeless encampments in a marsh adjacent to a shopping center and next to the shoreline. An estimated 250 people (some of them children) were living there, some on well-established campsites. In addition to public-health concerns, there were numerous emergency responses for fire, heroin overdoses, and other medical emergencies; thefts and robberies from nearby businesses; and shootings and illegally possessed firearms. Community members reported changing their shopping habits and avoiding the area. Ninety percent of the homeless persons said they were addicted to drugs, and more than 50 percent said they suffered from mental illness. Previous efforts to deal with the negative impacts of the encampments through law enforcement efforts were ineffective. The new community response included five major elements: (1) focus on rapid rehousing, (2) increase the capacity to manage mentally ill homeless people, (3) reduce the inflow of illegal marijuana workers, (4) reduce the environmental impact and visual blight created by the encampments, and (5) make the marsh less attractive for homeless encampments.