LA County crews begin clearing out at least 60 RVs from homeless encampment in Gardena

GARDENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles County crews began clearing out an RV homeless encampment Wednesday morning in Gardena.

An estimated 60 RVs that sat along Redondo Beach Boulevard between San Pedro and Main streets were towed as part of the county's Pathway Home program.

Crews spent the morning clearing out trash and debris while social workers spent time speaking with the RV occupants about housing options.

The county says the goal is to move the individuals into safe, permanent housing in order to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for both unhoused individuals and the surrounding communities.

Sheriff Robert Luna addressed the encampment, pointing out the unsanitary conditions and calling it a humanitarian issue.

Luna said many of the people living here have been for more than a year. The encampment is considered a "legacy site" because its been here for so long.

The sheriff said all of the occupants of these RVs were told ahead of time that this day was coming.

"We're going to change people's lives, I believe, for the better," he told Eyewitness News Wednesday morning. "We're going to, hopefully, get people back on their feet. We're going to be able to connect them with either housing, mental health care, regular health care, or anything else that they may need, and hopefully, they will not return to these streets."

The goal here is not just to get RVs off the streets, but to get their residents into homes and end the so-called whack-a-mole problem that just pushes the unhoused onto other streets.

County homeless services workers offered RV occupants a long list of support services.

"Meals, well-being, benefits, locating units for them to be able to move into permanent housing," described Kimberly Barnette with the L.A. County Homeless Initiative.

However, convincing some of these residents to accept the help is often challenging That is where Rigo Berto Alejo comes in.

"Everybody that doesn't want to take the help, they can see me as an example," he said.

Alejo used to live here on the streets of Gardena but after accepting help from the county, he now has a home, a job and is aiming higher.

"I'm in school now, trying to get my GED and I've been helping with the cleanups here in this area, this side of Gardena," he said.

But Wednesday's cleanup effort is far from the last. Just one block away, the street is filled with yet more RVs, creating a daunting challenge with no clear end in sight.

The RVs that were cleared on Wednesday must be held for 30 days by law, but after that, the vehicles will be destroyed. The operation is expected to take approximately three days.