No matter how many times it gets cleared, an overgrown field adjacent to Vanessa Henderson鈥檚 home in southwest 疯客直播 Fe inevitably turns into a homeless encampment.
鈥淎t one point 鈥 we鈥檙e not joking 鈥 there must have been at least 40 homeless tents up here on the other side,鈥 she said as she pointed to the long and narrow field off Cerrillos Road between Richards Avenue and Vegas Verdes Drive.
That was in the winter.
By May, another encampment resurfaced, along with fires, including a blaze that burned several trees at night.
鈥淚f it had been a windy day, it could have burned everything to Airport Road,鈥 said Jonathan Batchik, Henderson鈥檚 husband.
Authorities cleared the encampment over the summer, but a tent reappeared a few weeks ago, sparking concerns from area residents the encampment will continue to grow yet again.
While the city of Espa帽ola has been in the spotlight in recent months over a city-sanctioned encampment that became a magnet for crime, drug use and other bad behavior, homeless encampments are also a problem closer to home.
Since January, the city of 疯客直播 Fe has cleaned up 613 encampments, including 68 where authorities had to issue a 24-hour notice when the person or people staying in the encampment refused to move out when initially asked. The cleanups have generated more than 144 tons of trash.
Jason Sharp, the city鈥檚 park ranger superintendent, said the number of encampments 鈥渃an be a little deceiving鈥 because they often include the same people who just move from one location to another.
鈥淭here are people we deal with continuously,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like Whac-A-Mole.鈥
Still, Sharp said the encampments are affecting residents鈥 quality of life.
鈥淎 lot of what I hear from people that put in complaints is that when they see them, they don鈥檛 feel safe,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here have been incidences surrounding homeless encampments, like people鈥檚 vehicles being broken into or a home being broken into, so that鈥檚 a lot of what I hear, is [area residents] are scared when they see them because of the stuff that might come along with the camp.鈥
Sharp said his team responds to complaints and also proactively patrols the city looking for encampments. If the encampment is on city-owned property, he said park rangers will ask the camper or campers to leave.
鈥淪ometimes we run into people that are stubborn, and that鈥檚 when we would issue a 24-hour notice,鈥 he said.
If the property is privately owned, it鈥檚 a different matter, he said.
鈥淎t that point, it would become an issue between the landowner and the people staying on their property, and it would be up to the landowner to contact [police] to have them removed because they鈥檇 be trespassing on private property,鈥 he said.
Residents of the Trailer Ranch RV Resort, where Henderson lives and where homeless encampments persist in the adjacent field, said the property recently changed ownership and is slated for a high-density residential project.
Chris Acosta, who is Henderson鈥檚 neighbor at the resort, said the latest encampment popped up about three weeks ago.
鈥淭here was one tent and one shopping basket, and now I think there are three tents and about five shopping baskets, and I just want it nipped in the bud,鈥 she said.
Acosta wrote a letter to police Chief Paul Joye this week requesting his department鈥檚 help.
In the letter, Acosta wrote the field had 鈥渞emained empty, clean and safe鈥 after the summer cleanup.
鈥淯nfortunately, within the past three weeks, a large tent has been set up and several people and multiple shopping carts have moved in,鈥 she wrote to Joye. 鈥淭he camp is directly behind our home, approximately 15-20 feet away from our back fence and highly visible from our raised deck and backyard. It is unsightly, unhygienic, loud and dangerous. We have not been able to live comfortably in our home or enjoy our outdoor space since the camp reappeared.鈥
The 疯客直播 Fe Police Department and mayor鈥檚 office did not respond to requests for comment.
Acosta, who lives in 疯客直播 Fe five months out of the year, said she鈥檚 noticed a significant uptick in homelessness since she鈥檚 been coming to 疯客直播 Fe.
鈥淲e have a friend who lives in another community who鈥檚 concerned about driving onto Cerrillos Road 鈥 she won鈥檛 drive on Cerrillos,鈥 she said.
鈥淭here are levels of comfort,鈥 Acosta added. 鈥淚鈥檓 from a big city, so I鈥檓 not afraid, but I am when it鈥檚 right in my backyard and in a field of weeds and trees and stuff. It鈥檚 just concerning.鈥
Another neighbor, Susan Martinez, said residents live in fear when the encampments pop up next door.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if they鈥檙e going to be right behind our gate and we say something to them and they鈥檙e carrying a weapon and they shoot us,鈥 she said.
Martinez said her dog barks uncontrollably when she takes it out at night, making her wonder whether someone is lurking in the darkness.
鈥淚 feel bad for them; it鈥檚 not their fault,鈥 she said, referring to the homeless. 鈥淏ut at the same time, it鈥檚 not right for us to have to live in a nice area and then have all these homeless people.鈥
The field is littered with trash, including discarded hypodermic needles, and some of the garbage ends up on neighboring residents鈥 properties, Martinez said.
Henderson said the recurring encampments have negatively impacted her quality of life.
鈥淚 would wake up in the morning, and I鈥檇 have my tea or coffee, and I would look over here, and there were men peeing all over the fence,鈥 she said. 鈥淪ometimes two or three at one time because they think it鈥檚 funny, and I hear all kinds of stories about what else is over there.鈥
