A Central Valley Caltrans crew praised themselves for a so-called homeless encampment cleanup that has been slammed by locals who said the job was only half completed.
The post was made by California Department of Transportation District 6 located in Fresno, and includes a before and after shot of an encampment filled with trash and debris in the city. It was shared both on X and Caltrans Facebook accounts.
“Caltrans removed an encampment on June 16th located on State Route 180 near Abby Street in Fresno,” the post read.
“During their work, Caltrans crews collected 2.5 cubic yards of debris. Affected individuals were offered services by our outreach partners.”
The top photo shows the spot located near a residential area littered with shopping carts, a mattress, blankets, clothes and trash. The area also contains tons of graffiti on the walls and dry brush.
The second photo shows that the carts, bedding, and clothes have been removed. However, the massive graffiti wall is still there and has not been painted over and none of the dry grass area has been cleaned up.
In response locals have reacted to the pat on the back post, calling it “tone deaf.”
“While the clean up is appreciated, the self-congratulatory photo with dry grass and extensive graffiti comes across as totally tone deaf,” one local told Caltrans in a message shared with The California Post.
“Please wait to pat yourselves on the back until the area is actually clean.”
“The slogan is Clean California, not Somewhat Clean California,” the person added. “Happy Friday, have a great day, appreciate your hard work.”
Reactions to the FB celebratory post were similar, with people sharing laughing face emojis to the post showing the area definitely not cleaned up.
It wasn’t the only time the agency touted their cleanup in an area that wasn’t complete.
Caltrans removed an encampment on June 9th located on State Route 41 just south of Olive Avenue in Fresno. During their work, Caltrans crews collected 4 cubic yards of debris. Affected individuals were offered services by our outreach partners.@CaltransHQ @CA_Trans_Agency pic.twitter.com/d4o1liVvlA
— Caltrans District 6 (@CaltransDist6) June 11, 2026
In a post on June 11, Caltrans District 6 posted about the removal of another encampment on June 9th near Highway 41 and Olive Avenue in the city.
“During their work, Caltrans crews collected 4 cubic yards of debris. Affected individuals were offered services by our outreach partners.”
The before photo shows tons of tents, appliances, boxes and clothes in an area next to a wall covered in spray paint and dry grass.
The after photo shows the giant graffiti wall and dry brush everywhere, calling into question once again just how cleaned up this area had been.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer has faced some pushback lately after touting the city’s handling of the homeless problem.
During a recent press conference, Dyer said there were “zero encampments in the city of Fresno,” while admitting that the problem has yet to be completely solved, the Fresno Bee reported.
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He went on to explain that the city defines an encampment as “10 or more people staying in a location for 10 or more days.”
But the claim is misleading, said homeless advocate Dez Martinez.
“What concerns me most is the message being sent to the public,” Martinez told the Bee.
“When officials say there are no encampments, it creates the impression that homelessness is being solved when many people on the ground know that is not the case.”
Residents in Fresno also reacted to Dyer’s “zero encampments” comment.
“We need a new Mayor. If the job can’t be done by the current one,” one person wrote on Facebook.
“Major audit needed in California and every city. Fresno has failed and tax funds have been wasted…or stolen,” another person wrote.
The numbers show that in Fresno-Madera Counties there was a 9.2% increase in homelessness in 2025. However, Dyer said preliminary data shows it’s decreasing this year.
Preliminary 2026 numbers from city officials showed 3,250 homeless compared to the last count in 2023 of 4,905 unhoused/sheltered in the two counties, per a city report.
The California Post reached out to Cal Trans in the Central Valley for further comment.
The post Tone-deaf praise for encampment cleanup enrages locals: ‘Somewhat Clean California’ appeared first on New York Post.
