One of the nation's largest homeless camps were taken down in California Wednesday morning leaving crowds of people with nowhere to go.
The camp stretches for nearly a mile along a creek in San Jose filled with makeshift tents and debris. To outsiders it looks like a mess, but the camp was the home of about 300 people.
"People drive by and look at us like we're circus animals," a sobbing Nancy Ortega said to The Associated Press. "It's just junk to everyone else but to us, that's home. That's our stuff."
At 8 a.m. Thursday San Jose officials sent crews in to clear out the camp and to force the last of the residents out of the area. Over the last year-and-a-half-long effort to find permanent homes for the residents.
One-third of residents were still living in the camp when it was taken down on Thursday, reported New York Times. The efforts to find permanent homes for the homeless weren't entirely successful, as the real estate market around San Jose is among the most expensive areas in America.
San Jose is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in California, which is home to technology giants Google and Apple, among others. As more workers for the successful technology businesses moved to the area real estate prices increased, reported NY Times.
The efforts to remove the people from the camp came after pressure from state and regional water authorities to clean up the trash and human waste from the creek.
"It's going to be a long night," Veronica Mackenzie, 21, who had lived at the camp with her boyfriend, her aunt, her aunt's boyfriend and two dogs, explained to NY Times. "They should have provided housing for everyone out here, or shelter or something, instead of just pushing us out on the streets."
