County officials describe shelter, tiny‑home plans and cleanup strategy amid large encampments

Del Norte County officials described a multi-pronged effort to address widespread encampments, outlining shelter and transitional housing capacity and the legal and logistical challenges of cleanup.

Supervisor (S8) told the committee the county has an encampment‑resolution grant of $10,800,000 that financed a shelter and the planned tiny‑home ("pallet home") project. "The shelter itself is 60, and I believe the pallet homes are an additional 30," the supervisor said, adding that tiny homes are intended to be transitional and tied to case management and vocational services.

Members and staff described concentrated encampments in areas such as Waldo Street, the Roof/Ruth compound and South Bend, and said those locations create recurring environmental and public‑safety costs. Speakers estimated the transient homeless population in the county at several hundred and noted high year‑to‑year turnover, cautioning that shelter capacity will not immediately house all people currently living outdoors.

Managers described legal tools already used — including vehicle‑code authority to block vehicle access to problem roadways and K-rail barriers — and said code‑enforcement staffing shortages and private‑property ownership complicate large‑scale cleanup. Speakers urged pairing removal efforts with available shelter and transitional housing to avoid displacing people without alternatives.

Officials said the county is pursuing longer‑term housing development projects to expand affordable stock, and that cleanup plans and enforcement actions will continue in coordination with law enforcement, county counsel and property owners. No formal motion or vote on encampment policy occurred at the meeting; discussion focused on status, available funding and operational constraints.