Question of the Week: Clear out homeless encampment?

Panelists answered the following: Should officials clear out the growing homeless encampment along the San Benito River bed on the west side?
Richard Herrera: Only if they have a suitable short-term solution and if they continue to seek long-term solutions to help the homeless people. I don’t think they are breaking the law or bothering anyone.
Ruth Erickson: The homeless need to be moved from the potentially, very dangerous location. If we receive an unexpected downpour like Houston, Texas had this week, we’d have many losses of life due to drownings from the river flooding. 
Jim West: No. Where are they going to go? The county should provide a couple of port-a-potties and a Dumpster for sanitary purposes. But to simply run them out of that location because we don’t want to acknowledge the problem of  homelessness is not an answer. 
Ann Ross: No. Until we have a place for the homeless in place in our community with support from the whole community and/or enough services to help the homeless from poverty to opportunity, we shouldn’t disrupt any support system they give one another nor disturb the ways they share their minimal resources with one another.
Mary Zanger: No. Some of these people work but minimum wage does not pay the rent. Remember, these homeless people are the ones cleaning trash and bottles and cans.off of our streets and roads. With recycling income, they can feed themselves. Until November when our temporary shelter re-opens we need to provide them with portable sanitation and fresh water supplies.