As part of many massive operations, county officers cleared a Palmdale campsite of 121 homeless people.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Pathway Home program in Los Angeles County, was carried out on July 22, July 31, and August 19, with the assistance of other municipal agencies and sheriff’s departments.
The homeless people who made their homes in tents, improvised buildings, and abandoned RVs and cars populated the encampment in a lonely desert region.
As a group, 121 homeless people were escorted from the encampment to makeshift indoor accommodation by crews from several agencies. Motorhomes, boats, trailers, campers, and 32 other vehicles were hauled away and disposed of by the workers.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. William Kitchn described the mission as a humanitarian endeavor to guide individuals towards a better life. “Things like a lack of access to fresh water, extremely hot and cold winters, and other similar conditions come into play.”
“This has been ongoing for a few years,” stated Palmdale Mayor Austin Bishop. Getting them out of these terrible, nearly fatal, summer heat conditions is a relief.
If cities in California do not remove homeless encampments, Newsom promises to cut off funding to them.
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Pathway Home’s largest removal operation to date is the Palmdale effort. Nineteen encampment operations have been carried out by the county since the program’s commencement in August 2023.
At the end of the program’s run, 783 formerly homeless individuals found temporary housing, while 131 found permanent homes. Roughly 496 recreational vehicles have been withdrawn from circulation.
“These people have been experiencing homelessness for a very long time,” stated Kimberly Barnette of the L.A. County Homeless Initiative.
“The camps here are off-grid, so it can be a bit more challenging at times. However, our outreach teams have been collaborating closely with the sheriff’s department to ensure that we have all the necessary resources to prepare these individuals to come indoors and participate in the Pathway Home program.”
With the Palmdale operations, many different agencies and nonprofits were able to lend a hand, including:
Homeless Outreach Services Team, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
National Alliance on Mental Illness Volunteers of America, Los Angeles, Valley Oasis, and LA Family Housing
Mental Health Services in Los Angeles County
This is the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
