Homeless encampments located near freeway ramps, gateways and underpasses near and in Santa Ana may soon disappear when city leaders receive an injection of state funding designed to assist them with the cleanup and removal of the makeshift outdoor shelters located on state grounds.
The Santa Ana City Council approved the Encampment Delegated Maintenance Agreement on Tuesday that will allow the city “to perform maintenance services such as encampment, graffiti, trash and debris removal along major freeway ramps and underpasses.”
The maintenance agreement, which is funded by the California Department of Transportation, will reimburse Santa Ana up to $400,000 over the next two years for the work completed, according to a Santa Ana City Council release.
The funding will improve safety, cleanliness and maintenance along key freeway corridors and gateways.
“The city of Santa Ana is committed to keeping our community safe, clean and welcoming for everyone,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. “Through this partnership with Caltrans, we can make sure our freeways and underpasses reflect the pride we have in our city while protecting public health and safety for residents, businesses and visitors alike.”
According to city officials, the agreement authorizes the city to perform routine maintenance on the following high-priority locations along the I-5 and SR-55 freeway corridors:
17th Street and Penn Way – on/off-ramps
Buffalo Avenue and Main Street – southbound off-ramp
Santiago Creek Underpass at Broadway
Grand Avenue – on/off-Ramps and underpass
East side of I-5 freeway – Between Stafford and Mabury streets
South side of I-5 freeway – Between Logan Street and Lincoln Avenue
Fourth Street – northbound off-ramp
Fourth Street – southbound on/off-ramps
Hesperian Street and Bristol Street – on/off ramps and underpass
Dyer Road – on/off ramps and underpass
MacArthur Boulevard – southbound on-ramp
City staff estimate routine maintenance costs for the identified freeway areas to be approximately $150,000 per year, with the remaining balance available for encampment removals or other additional cleanup efforts.
Work will begin as soon as the agreement takes effect, according to city officials.
To ensure regular maintenance and upkeep and quick responses to community and City Council requests, the Public Works Agency plans to secure an external contractor to aid in cleanup efforts. City leaders have released a Request for Proposal for these services, which closes on Sept. 18.