Former Thousand Oaks homeless encampment 'The Jungle' gets another cleaning
A large site alongside Highway 23 in Thousand Oaks infamously known as "The Jungle" is getting cleaned up Tuesday.
"The Jungle" got its nickname as homeless encampments grew in the area and Tuesday, CHP Moorpark is partnering with Caltrans District 7 to paint over graffiti and to clean up trash that still remains from the encampments.
The quarter-mile space bordering the 23 Freeway sound wall between Paige Lane and Janss Road was re-aquired by the state in 2020.
A year ago, the homeless were cleared from the site as nearly 20 encampments with makeshift structures running electricity and irrigation made for unsafe situations within the camp and for neighboring residents.
A resident 2022 Facebook post shared the "ingenuity" of the people who lived in "The Jungle" as they saw structures with foundations, a two-story treehouse, and a walkway with working lights. They said some structures were very "detailed and meticulous in their upkeep, while others looked more like trash dumps."
Thousand Oaks Police Chief Jeremy Paris said last year that the encampments had been there for at least a decade.
"At one point we had 20 encampments and some of them were significantly large and took up a lot of space. There were illegal fires that were happening in the area and actually caught some trees and brush on fire," said Jeremy Key, California Highway Patrol.
The homeless population at the site grew exponentially during the pandemic. With the help of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, people in the encampments were offered social and housing services before they were forced to leave.
Caltrans said they are trying to give back to the community with this beautification project. Neighbors say they have seen several cleanups before but are grateful the work continues.
