Government leaders are continuing talks on dealing with a growing homeless problem in a county without a permanent shelter. In the meantime, a supervisor last week asked about offering some temporary amenities to a group living near the San Benito River bed.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz requested that county officials consider placing portable toilets and garbage containers in the area where the homeless residents were living near the river bed.
It is on the river bed in an area where his District 5 meets Supervisor Anthony Botelho’s District 2. Those two officials came up with the idea to place toilets and garbage containers there, De La Cruz said to the Free Lance.
“Because it’s really close to the river, I wanted to make sure we at least address some of the sanitary issues,” De La Cruz said.
Officials, though, are wary of creating issues with the state Department of Fish & Wildlife due to its proximity to the watershed.
“It’s real close to the river bed, and we definitely don’t want to create any other requirements,” the supervisor said.
Prompted by De La Cruz and Botelho, county officials are looking into the possibility of using Integrated Waste Management funds earmarked to provide containers to community organizations, he said.
As for the long term, city and county officials were waiting to hear back on potential federal grant funding to possibly pay for a permanent facility.
“Both the county and city are working on a long-term solution,” he said. “However, we do have a short-term problem.”
