In California, some homeless have resorted to living in caves. ‘Where else are they gonna go?’

For decades, at least, the unhoused have sought refuge along the banks of the Tuolumne River. But recently, some have literally carved out places to call home.

The work put into creating the caves — makeshift tile flooring, recessed shelves and cubbies, a ventilated fireplace — indicates intended long-term occupancy.

But last month, the city of Modesto cleared them out after giving notification for the homeless to leave the area. Now the man-made caves, vacant when The Bee visited them last week, raise questions about the structural integrity of the trail above them and of the safety of those who stay in them.

They are carved out of the silt of the steep, nearly vertical embankments of the river near Crater Avenue in southwest Modesto. They are tall enough to stand in, and one cave has separate rooms: a larger area with the floor tiles and cubbies, then another, smaller room with body-size cutouts for sleeping and the fireplace. Some of the walls are painted and decorated with hand-drawn hearts and other art. The Bee has yet to learn the identities of the builders.

How Modesto will combat the ecological impact of the caves was not specifically answered by the city. A statement emailed to The Bee says it “recognizes the importance of not only addressing the immediate safety risks but also working towards a comprehensive solution to permanently eliminate these caves.”

City officials recently installed barricades and temporary fencing along the makeshift steps leading down to the caves. But neighbors said they don’t believe this will deter anyone from returning at a later time. The city stated it will continue efforts to “restrict access to the caves, prioritizing safety.” This includes an increase in police, Fire Department and city staff presence in the area. It also encourages residents to call MPD if a situation needs immediate attention.

Residents in the area of the caves said city officials told them of plans to install cameras along the path above them. No timeline of when that would happen was provided.

What do the residents think?

Several residents in the area are concerned about public safety, as the trail and the nearby park are used for recreation. The presence of homeless people, purported drug use and other safety concerns are on the minds of those who live in the single-family homes near the river. But some also are concerned for those who’ve lived in the caves.

“I just feel like if they’re not living here, where else are they gonna go?” said Nicholas McCoy, who lives on Crater Avenue. “It’s kind of like a bigger problem than just the caves, it’s lack of resources and all kinds of other crap.”

McCoy said the people who live by the river don’t bother anyone. He said he sees them as neighbors who are “going home at the end of the day.”

“Everybody owns a piece of property at the end of the night when you want to relax, when you want to lay down. You can only do that on your property. If you don’t have that, you gotta intrude on somebody else’s space,” said McCoy.

“If they can’t stay here, they’re gonna go to Walmart, (but) they can’t go to Walmart, they’re gonna kick them out of there... so it’s a bigger issue than just these caves.”

McCoy isn’t naive to the dangers their presence poses — he recently had to put out a fire started near the river — but at the same time said he understands their situation.

Because of the 2018 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Martin v. Boise, cities cannot clear an encampment unless “adequate shelter” is provided. Those who are encamped cannot be cited, either. But in places like San Francisco, this has been challenged and the city recently was granted the authority to clear an encampment and cite those living there if they refuse resources, CalMatters recently reported.

The city of Modesto said it will offer information and resources to those who may need shelter and social services, but only upon request.

Last weekend, Operation 9-2-99, a local community volunteer group that does regular cleanups of this stretch of the river, returned to the area.

The trash cleanup effort was done in coordination with Modesto Police Department’s HEART Team, park rangers, CHAT and abatement personnel who notified the cave’s residents a week prior to the cleanup effort. The operation disposed of 7,600 pounds of trash, according to MPD’s press release.

There are resources and shelters for the homeless in Modesto, including the Salvation Army Modesto Corps which recently remade its homeless shelter during the pandemic. However, the pandemic funds have gone dry and the shelter is now asking the city to contribute more funds to keep the operation going.

Patterson’s approach to clearing encampments

Patterson Police Services recently stepped up its encampment clear-outs, saying that “With the recent homeless encampment clean outs and demolition of abandoned properties off of 9th St. and Las Palmas Ave. We have our homeless folks moving around quite a bit and landing in different areas,” in a release.

The city stated that it did not make any arrests, issue citation or dispose of personal belongings during its operation. It also stated that it offered resources to those it encountered.

“The City works closely with partner agencies to address these concerns and conducts regular homeless encampment sweeps to offer services to individuals who accept. In addition, partner agency Stanislaus County’s CARE team has been servicing the Patterson community on a weekly basis for over a year to offer resources to unhoused populations,” the city stated in an email. “Furthermore, there are local shelters within the City, like Naomi’s House & H.O.S.T., that offer resources to individuals seeking assistance and housing.”