Stockton’s long-standing Pixley Slough island encampment, an established yet unauthorized residence for some of the city’s homeless population, has been cleared after 14 years of occupation on state-owned land. The cleanup, which took place on July 22, was a collaborative effort by the City of Stockton, San Joaquin County, and the State Land Commission, highlighting the area’s hazardous living conditions, which included around 400 tons of waste and inadequate access to clean water and sewage systems.
According to a Facebook post by the City of Stockton – Government, this extensive action came after multiple documented incidents of fires, gunfire, and other criminal activities in the area, residents of the encampment were given months of notice and personal contacts including formal eviction notices on 38 tents, the clean-up itself was monitored closely by a joint force of Stockton Police Department with California Highway Patrol and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department due to potential dangers. On the day of the cleanup, service providers such as UpliftForAll and San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services were on hand to offer immediate housing solutions, health services, and other essentials, though many individuals declined these services.
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