BUT IT IS RAISING QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHETHER IT SAFE FOR THE
PEOPLE LIVING THERE, OR THE
ENVIRONMENT.
YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE WATER TO
SEE IT.
NORTH OF THE AIRPORT ON THE
SACRAMENTO RIVER RIGHT WHERE
SACRAMENTO ENDS AND SUTTER
COUNTY BEGINS, THERE'S A GROUP
OF BOATS AND A FLOATING DOCK --
OR IS IT A SHACK?
>> NO, NO.
THAT DID NOT ALWAYS HAVE THAT
STRUCTURE ON IT.
THAT FOR A WHILE IT WAS JUST A
DOCK.
KEVIN: ROPED TOGETHER AND TIED
TO SOME TREES, IT'S BEEN HERE
FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS.
LONG ENOUGH FOR SOMEONE TO LEAVE
THEIR MARK.
>> YOU WILL SEE STEPS LITERALLY
CUT INTO THE BANK, SO THEY CAN
GO UP THE BANK.
KEVIN: THIS IS ONE OF
SACRAMENTO'S FLOATING HOMELESS
CAMPS, A HODGEPODGE OF VESSELS
THAT CHANGE OVER TIME.
>> THE WHITE HOUSEBOAT WITH THE
BLUE STRIPE HAS BEEN THERE THE
LAST TWO SUMMERS THAT I CAN
REMEMBER.
THE SMALLER BOAT BEHIND IT HAS
BEEN HERE FOR THREE SUMMERS.
AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER
BOATS THAT KIND OF COME AND GO.
KEVIN: SERGEANT SAM MACHADO WITH
THE YOLO SHERIFF'S MARINE UNIT
TOOK US OUT ON THE WATER TO SHOW
US HOW HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE
MOVED TO THE RIVER AND CREATED
FLOATING ENCAMPMENTS.
>> THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS, ONE
OF THE BIGGEST ONES I WOULD SAY
IS THE SANITATION ISSUE.
YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE HAVE
TO USE THE RESTROOM AND CLEAN
THEMSELVES.
KEVIN: AND THAT'S NOT ALL.
WE FOUND THIS ALONG THE
SHORELINE RIGHT AROUND THE
FLOATING PLATFORM -- A DISTINCT
FILM FROM SOMETHING IN THE
WATER.
IF THERE WAS ANYONE HOME, NO ONE
CAME OUT.
WE ALSO FOUND A HORSESHOE PIT
AND A BBQ AREA CUT INTO THE
RIVERBANK, SOMETHING THAT WOULD
NORMALLY REQUIRE RESIDENTS YEARS
OF PAPERWORK AND PERMITS TO GET
PERMISSION FOR.
>> THIS IS THEIR HOME.
THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE, IT'S
NOT JUST A WEEKEND GETAWAY.
KEVIN: SO FAR EVERYTHING WE'VE
SHOWN YOU HAS BEEN ON THE
SACRAMENTO SIDE OF THE RIVER.
YOLO COUNTY HAS A TOUGH NEW
ORDINANCE TO KEEP THIS FROM
HAPPENING ON THAT SIDE OF THE
RIVER.
AFTER FOUR DAYS OR 96 HOURS ON
THE YOLO SIDE, AND BOATERS HAVE
TO GO MORE THAN 500 YARDS OUT OF
YOLO COUNTY.
>> THERE IS NOWHERE ON THE
SACRAMENTO RIVER THAT'S 500
YARDS ACROSS SO THEY'VE GOT TO
EITHER GO UP NORTH INTO COLUSA
COUNTY OR THEY GOT TO GO DOWN
SOUTH INTO SOLANO.
KEVIN: YOLO COUNTY ALSO HAS BEEN
WORKING HARD TO GET RID OF
ABANDONED BOATS BEFORE ANYBODY
MOVES IN.
USING STATE FUNDS TO PULL THEM
OUT OF THE WATER AND EVEN
OFFERING TO TAKE THEM OFF TH
OWNER'S HANDS WHILE THEY ARE ON
THE LAND.
>> USUALLY ONCE A BOAT SINKS,
WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE TO FOUR
TIMES WHAT IT WOULD COST US TO
DESTROY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
KEVIN: MACHADO POINTS TO WHAT'S
LEFT OF THIS HOUSEBOAT AS AN
EXAMPLE.
IT WILL NOW COST TAXPAYERS
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET IT
OUT OF THE RIVER AND TO A SCRAP
YARD.
MACHADO SAYS BEFORE IT ENDED UP
HERE, IT WAS TIED UP TO THE
FLOATING HOMELESS CAMP UPSTREAM.
DEALING WITH ABANDONED
HOUSEBOATS IS ONE THING.
TAKING CARE OF THE SAINT JOSEPH
JUST SOUTH OF OLD SACRAMENTO IS
ANOTHER STORY ALTOGETHER.
IT WAS ABANDONED BY IT'S LAST
OWNERS MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO.
WHO WAS CLIMBING AROUND ON IT
WITH TWO DOGS, WE COULDN'T TELL
YOU, BUT THE CITY OF WEST
SACRAMENTO SAYS IT HAS BECOME A
FLOATING HOMELESS CAMP, TOO.
THE YOLO SHERIFF'S MARINE UNIT
CAN'T GET RID OF THIS ONE
BECAUSE IT'S A COMMERCIAL
VESSEL.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE VESSEL
OWNERS WHO AREN'T AS RESPONSIBLE
AS WE'D LIKE.
KEVIN: SHERI PEMBERTON WITH THE
STATE LANDS COMMISSION SAYS EVEN
THOUGH IT'S BEEN ABANDONED OVER
STATE LAND, THE STATE CAN'T JUST
REMOVE THE SHIP.
>> IT'S VERY COMPLEX.
THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT
HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
DEPENDING ON THE VESSEL.
THE SIZE, IF THERE'S HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS INVOLVED THAT ARE ON
THE VESSEL.
KEVIN: SINCE THE OWNERS ARE
NOWHERE TO BE FOUND THE STATE IS
HOPING WHEN THE DOCK IT'S TIED
TO IS DEMOLISHED THE DEMOLITION
CREW WILL TAKE CARE OF THE SHIP,
TOO.
BUT ALL THAT TAKES MONEY THAT
THE LAND'S COMMISSION SAYS IT
DOESN'T HAVE.
OSCAR VILLEGAS WITH YOLO COUNTY
THERE IS NO STREAMLINED WAY TO
CLEAR THE WATERWAYS AND IT MAKES
IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO DUMP BOATS
AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
>> SO MUCH OF OUR WATER WE USE
FOR FISHING, FOR RECREATING, FOR
AGRICULTURE, FOR DRINK.
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE DO WITH
OUR WATER SYSTEM AND IT'S EASY
TO JUST ASSUME THAT SOMEONE ELSE