Why It Is Important to Dismantle Homeless Camps
If the total number of homeless people in the US was shocking in the year before the pandemic, you can only imagine how worse it will be given the ravaging effects of the coronavirus on the economy and the general well-being of the people. Given the high rate of unemployment, the number of homeless camps is bound to increase. A homeless camp can pose critical health risks to neighboring communities. Homeless camp cleanup Glendale AZ has proven to be highly effective in restoring sanity to a community infested with homeless camps.
Although some cities are taking bold steps in trying to reduce the number of people who sleep on the street, homelessness isn’t a problem that can be tackled overnight. It takes time. As people move from one homeless camp to the other in search of shelter, the riskier it is to live outdoors. While some encampments are actives, others are abandoned. While government agencies and communities work together to dismantle active homeless camps, experts in homeless camp cleanup Glendale AZ can clean and sanitize abandoned homeless encampments within your community.
How Widespread is the Problem?
Homeless Encampments can be found in virtually every state in the US. However, some states witness a higher number than others. Currently, more than 500,000 people are homeless in the US today with a vast majority in urban areas like New York, Washington, and California. More than 70% of the homeless find solace in the nearest homeless shelter.
Reasons to Dismantle Homeless Camps
Those living outdoors pose a serious health concern to the community at large. Government agencies have been doing everything possible to evacuate people from homeless camps. Those abandoned homeless camps need to be decontaminated as quickly as possible.
Apart from increasing the risk of infectious diseases and littering the environment, other negative impacts of homeless camps include
Fire Outbreaks
Regardless of the status of the homeless camp, whether abandoned or active, the odds of a major fire outbreak are high. With just a little spark from a lighter or passing vehicle to ignite debris such as cardboard, it can result in a fire outbreak and a major one at that. Homeless encampments are always filled with loads of debris, and some act as a great source of fuel for a fire. This can be avoided if homeless camps near communities are dismantled and properly cleaned.
Death Rate
Tragically, those who do not have a roof over their head experience ill health care. And as such, they are not expected to have a longer life span than those living in healthy spaces. On several occasions, homeless people who lack access to basic health care facilities die on benches, railroad trucks, and sidewalks. Death in a homeless encampment can further worsen environmental health. Cleaning a homeless camp following a death can be a risky affair for the cleaner. This is why it is so important to hire professionals who are well versed in death cleanup service.
Hopefully, a time will come when the United States will be free of homeless encampments. Until then, homeless camp cleanup Glendale AZ should be left to the professionals.