"Along the Santa Ana River in the shadow of Disneyland and Anaheim Stadium, scores of homeless people young and old have set up makeshift encampments of tarps and tents.
“Many times, things appear hopeless because we have nothing — not even restrooms,” said Tammy Schuler, 41, who shares her cluttered tarp-covered plot on the trail with her boyfriend and younger brother.
“We trade and try to help each other.
We have no choice.”
But this way of life has sparked a backlash from nearby residents as well as joggers and cyclists who say the camps have increased crime and blight.
Anaheim this week declared a state of emergency, clearing the way for the removal of hundreds of people living in a landscape dotted with trash and used hypodermic needles and lacking toilet facilities.
It’s the latest and perhaps boldest move to date to deal with the county’s homeless problem.
Earlier this summer, Anaheim removed bus benches across the street from Disneyland following complaints about the homeless population sleeping on them around the amusement park..."
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