Former Unhoused in San Lorenzo Creek Spearhead its Cleanup
Volunteers collected 220 bags of trash over a four-week period from the San Lorenzo Creek as part of an effort by Forestr.org, Homebridge, CalTrans, and Ora Loma Sanitary District. Some of the volunteers had previously lived in makeshift camps in the area.
San Lorenzo Creek has substantially less garbage in it this summer thanks to a multi-agency collaboration and hard work from some people who used to live along the creek banks.
A partnership between Forstr.org and HomeBridge Connect between May 16 and June 6 this year resulted in 220 bags (more than 38.5 cubic yards) of garbage being removed from the creek area that runs parallel to Grove Way near Interstate 580. Workers filled 35-gallon collection bags donated by Caltrans and pulled them up to a staging area managed by Oro Loma District four Mondays in a row. The bags were then disposed of by Waste Management. The creek site is managed by Caltrans and the Flood Control and Water Conservation District.
“This is all litter not going down any drains. Thanks to your neighbors and Caltrans District 4.”
“This is all litter not going down any drains,” said Forestr.org founder Yon Hardisty. “Thanks to your neighbors and Caltrans District 4.”
The pickup is part of “Forestr Cleans,” an ongoing litter abatement program that works with current and previously unhoused individuals to clean up the lands.
“Specifically for the San Lorenzo Creek areas, HomeBridge Connect asked us to help support their clean-up efforts,” Hardisty said. “They cleaned a good third of their targeted spaces in those four weeks.”
Hardisty says Forestr.org along with Oro Loma and HomeBridge Connect is now planning for two more cleaning events and is seeking out local and corporate sponsors to help with the costs. The non-profit pays on a per-bag basis which helps not only cleans the creek but also provides income for those who may have a hard time getting or keeping employment.
Previously a Homeless Encampment
HomeBridge Connect spokesperson Melissa Moore said the area previously had been home to nearly 60 unhoused individuals, which she calls her Tribe. On October 17, 2020, Alameda County Sheriffs Deputies began evicting people in the camps.
“We always had the goal of cleaning up what we left behind and returning the creek area to a better state,” Moore told the Forum. “The pandemic prevented us from doing that right away. It was never about the money. We’re back because we care. We want people to see us, not as homeless on the street, but as human beings that are just like them and have the same goals and needs to live a meaningful life.”
The Forstr.org and HomeBridge Connect creek cleanup model could also be substantially less expensive than current methods, according to a breakdown of disposal costs.
After the camps were cleaned out in late 2020, Caltrans hired a contractor to begin the cleanup process at a cost of $500,000 to the county. Despite the cleanup efforts, Moore said older garbage could still be found around the intersection of San Lorenzo Creek and Crow Creek.
“We had our Tribe return to the Creek in the spring of 2021 to begin cleaning up and we noticed old garbage was starting to poke out of the ground and being exposed to the elements,” Moore said. “We’re
An assessment of collection and disposal costs by Oro Loma found tremendous cost savings to dispose of the waste being collected. The rate for removing the 38.5 cubic yards at $23 a yard and the requirement for providing a truck to haul away the bags over four weeks would cost $885.50, according to Oro Loma spokesperson Natasha Browne.
“We decided that the best collection point was at one of our stations at the end of Ralston Court,” said Browne. “There’s an access road that the HomeBridge crews were able to drive down, clean up the area, and drive it back to the top of the road. Having a vehicle to transport the bags was extremely helpful and a time saver.”
Forestr.org’s Hardisty estimates the full cost of this first round at about $5,000. Two more sessions of four weeks apiece could run an additional $10,000 for the current litter abatement.
“We have other groups coming to us for helping with cleaning actions in San Leandro and further down the San Lorenzo Creek areas as well,” Hardisty said.