Dump trucks pulled up to a cul-de-sac at the end of E. Commercial Row Wednesday morning to trash the remnants of homeless encampments along the train tracks. Most of the people who had been living on the gravel lot were long gone, but a few stragglers scrambled to pack away their belongings.
Shopping carts, bicycles, dollies, and rolling tables piled high with trash bags full of clothing and camping supplies – wheeling away in every direction.
The City of Reno says cleanups like this are routine and involve lots of advanced notice.
“We work with our unhoused population, either connecting them to services, but as well as addressing the maintenance and the public health and safety concerns related to encampments,” said Clean and Safe manager Kaytlin Canner.
Seven days before a sweep, Clean and Safe goes tent-to-tent providing homeless campers written notice that they have to leave or be forced to leave. Canner says her team made 79 contacts in the last seven days, and 13 of those resulted in someone asking for help. That help includes connection to services, like shelter, ID replacement, and assistance with housing applications.
But not everyone accepts that help – for many, it’s simply a warning that they need to set up camp somewhere else.
Canner says the city conducts cleanups in response to calls from the community, but the hope is that the outreach component of a cleanup helps people exit homelessness in the long run.
“If someone declines services that day, that doesn’t mean they’ll always decline services,” she said. “And that’s why it’s really critical for our team to build rapport and build trust with our unhoused population, so one day, they will be ready, and we’re there to support them and connect them to the services.”
