Caltrans to reimburse Riverside up to $200K a year for removal of homeless encampments near freeways

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Some people in Riverside have been frustrated with homeless encampments that have popped up near freeways, and the city has not been able to get them cleaned up. Now, there is finally a solution to remove the encampments and help people who have been living there.

A partnership between the city of Riverside and Caltrans will now allow city public works crews to access the areas around freeway onramps and offramps -- which is land typically managed by the state -- to clean up trash and homeless encampments.

The extra benefit, at least from the city of Riverside's point of view, is that Caltrans will reimburse the city up to $200,000 per year during the term of the agreement.

At Tuesday's city council meeting, Councilmember Sean Mill said the agreement will hopefully allow for trash and homeless encampments to be cleaned up more quickly than they are currently.

"I'm not going to give Caltrans too hard a time because they're somewhat responsive, but in the world I live in, and the world our constituents live in, it's not quick enough," Mill said. "This is going to make it a lot easier to get there."

City officials said the agreement is the first of its kind in the region. Their Public Safety Engagement Team will accompany public works cleanup crews to reach out to people living in the homeless encampments to offer them services.

The agreement runs through June 2027.