SALT LAKE CITY — A big homeless camp in Salt Lake Metropolis was eliminated by the county well being division Thursday.

The camp was positioned on 700 West beneath the ramp to Interstate 15 from 500 South. The well being division began at round 10 a.m. and completed round 4 p.m.

Based on well being officers, round 100 tons of trash, particles, and possessions have been taken by truck from the location.

“When you will have rubbish, trash, feces, needles, and all the different issues that occur when individuals stay with out applicable housing, that builds up,” stated Dale Keller, Basic Supervisor of Salt Lake Valley Environmental Well being.

These dwelling on the website weren’t completely satisfied in regards to the clean-up and are uncertain the place to go subsequent.

“The one purpose we did that is that there was nowhere for us to go. As {couples} as households, there are not any accessible shelters,” stated Stacy Johnson, one of many leaders of the camp. “We do not need to be within the public view 24 hours a day bearing its disgrace…That is to me is theft. It is a crime what’s taking place to us!”

Others like Wendy Garvin, the President and Govt Director of Unsheltered Utah, are additionally not completely satisfied in regards to the clean-up.

“We’re slightly annoyed with that as a result of it is a actually good location for a camp,” Garvin stated. “There’s nearly no industrial enterprise again right here. There is not any residence so there is not any there’s no one to complain.”

The Well being Division confirmed that they held off on shifting this particular camp longer than regular as a result of they needed to verify sufficient beds have been accessible for these on the camp.

“We affirm this morning, there have been over 100 beds accessible,” Keller stated. “We’ve got a fairly excessive useful resource resistive group. Fifteen or twenty years in the past, we simply did not see unsheltered individuals through the winter.”

Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall provided a press release expressing that whereas homelessness isn’t a criminal offense, some camps may cause severe well being and security dangers.

“We’ve got a duty to our residents–housed and unhoused–and companies to make sure that public areas are protected, clear and accessible. Homelessness isn’t a criminal offense, however some camps can and do current severe well being and security dangers to these dwelling in them and the general public at giant.” Mayor Erin Mendenhall stated in a press release including “We depend on our companions on the Salt Lake County Well being Division to find out when a camp poses a danger to well being and security and must be abated. Our outreach workforce, public providers, and police departments present supportive providers to make sure that the abatement proceeds in a fashion that’s protected for well being division staff and the unsheltered. We additionally work intently with the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to Finish Homelessness, whose function it’s to find out shelter wants, to assist unsheltered individuals connect with housing and providers.”