The homeless — in a bid to have illegal encampments escape detection — are again creating caves in the compacted earthen embankments connected with freeway overpasses in Manteca.

The latest incident was during a coordinated homeless sweep this month led by the Manteca Police Department.

Councilman Dave Breitenbucher, who volunteers extensively in efforts to get the homeless off the streets and into the city’s shelter, shared last week at the City Council meeting the discovery of the caves.

Caltrans crews made emergency repairs to assure the safety of motorists.

This is not the first time the homeless have tunneled beneath the approaches to freeway overcrossings in Manteca.

The first was back in August of 2019 when Manteca firefighters came across an elaborate cave below Cottage Avenue on the approach to the bridge deck crossing the Highway 99 freeway.

The cave that was about 8 feet deep was discovered by firefighters after they extinguished a nearby grass fire.

Caves dug into the side of levees along the San Joaquin River have also been a problem over the years.

San Joaquin County officials in recent years have aggressively dealt with the homeless creating caves in levees around rivers, sloughs, and creeks elsewhere in the county.

 In several instances county officials have said the homeless were compromising support structures for bridges on some rural roads based on how they were building makeshift shelters.

In one instance, a homeless encampment warming or cooking fire that got out of hand caused significant damage to a county bridge.

Over the years, fire departments such as Lathrop Manteca have come across elaborate in-ground “rooms.”

At the same time, firefighters combating grass fires around homeless encampments have to be on the lookout for holes dug for human waste that can lead to injuries if personnel, especially in the dark, don’t see them.

Firefighters have also expressed concern about the safety of inground caves for the homeless using them given the soil types that are found in the South County.

Breitenbucher offered

updates on city efforts

Breitenbucher took exception to various postings on social media that contend the city isn’t doing anything about the homeless.

He noted the city’s emergency shelter for homeless at 555 Industrial Park Drive was at capacity — 23 men and 23 women in separate portable dorms.

Each dorm has two more beds reserved for police efforts to get homeless off the streets.

When police come across illegal encampments during sweeps, they ask the homeless if they want to go to the shelter. If say “no”, they are cited and forced to move on and the illegal encampments removed.

Breitenbucher said they get a lot of no answers as  “a lot of homeless prefer to be on the streets.”

The councilman also listed services made available to the homeless in Manteca including those who are veterans. 

His Way Recovery, that the city contracts to operate day-to-day homeless services at 555 Industrial Park Drive, averages 55 homeless on a daily basis accessing services such as meals, clothing, and meals.

The non-profit over the past several years has managed to get 97 individuals off the streets by reuniting them with relatives who are willing to take them in.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email, dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com