Multiple communities of people experiencing homelessness have been found living in caves in riverbanks in central California. Dozens of people had dug out and furnished cave dwellings in different locations and were forced to leave upon being discovered.
First finding
This week, locals told authorities about a group of people experiencing homelessness living in caverns dug into the Tuolumne River near Modesto. The caves had been reported on before in 2022 but had been further developed since then.
Furnishing the quarters
The people living in the caves had equipped them with bedding and places to store personal belongings, weapons, and drugs. “You can see the hooks on the wall where they had bottles and stuff hanging down,” a local homeowner named Tracy Rojas told CBS13.
Story deepens
Just days after the caves were found and cleared, more occupied caverns were found along the Stanislaus River near Riverbank, about 10 miles north of Modesto. A local resident called Eddie Eagleton, who regularly fishes in the river, told KOVR that he saw people living out of the caves.
Impressive feat
“It’s pretty amazing what 15 to 20 people can do in a night or two,” Eagleton said. “They got generators down there. They got power, water pumps.”
Dangerous situation
“If one of these [caves] were to collapse, it would be devastating,” Rojas said. “This whole thing would come down and go into the water.”
Wider impact
“It’s a safety hazard for them and the community,” Rojas explained. “It’s pollution,” the mayor of Riverbank said. “It’s a danger to themselves or others if that river happens to rise rapidly.”
Desperate situation
“I think there needs to be more emphasis on the homeless,” Rojas said. “They are at the point where you can see they are desperate.”
Cycle of despair
“As soon as they get kicked out … they just start digging,” Eagleton said. Residents and officials complained that they lacked a long-term solution to the problem.
Wider issue
California is one of the epicenters of a national homelessness crisis. Roughly 30% of the country’s unhoused, which equates to about 162,000 individuals, are located in the state.
Housing crisis
One of the primary drivers of the homelessness crisis is the increasing unaffordability of housing, which is particularly expensive in California. According to the June 2023 California Community Poll, 70% of Californians expressed high happiness with living in the state, but 40% are still considering leaving — primarily because of the prohibitive cost of living.
Continuing problem
“The state’s culture and diversity have proved to be a very powerful magnet to keep a lot of people here, even despite the affordability challenges,” Dan Schnur, a Californian and communications professor, explained to USA Today. “But as the cost of living continues to be a greater challenge, it’s logical to assume that the allure of moving to a more affordable location is going to continue to grow.”
Constitutional limits
In 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that cities could not clear homeless camps and charge those living there unless there was adequate shelter available. Because most places along the West Coast lack sufficient shelter space, officials are often restricted from clearing out camps.
Damaging response
According to the New York Times, moderate Democrats and Republicans have joined together in a campaign to overturn this ruling, which is being considered by the Supreme Court. However, homelessness experts and advocates have repeatedly warned that sweeps, as the practice of repeatedly clearing out camps is called, are harmful and actually make homelessness worse in the long run.
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