While millions of Americans, many in RVs, spent the July 4th weekend camped in private and public campgrounds and RV parks, in Salt Lake City, some opted instead for a city street.
Artist Cliff Anderson says he has been living in his van in the industrial area since he was evicted from his apartment. Others, he says, “hear about it and come down here and go park.” He said they “might be here for a month, might be here for two days.”
“It’s a real mess,” said Jason Snedaker, who works in the area. “The garbage is just all over. It’s horrendous… It tears at your heart to see people who are in that type of a situation. There’s no doubt. At the same time, it’s also frustrating because of all of the garbage that piles up. It tends to be just a ton of garbage pickup and drug use as well.”
“It’s gettin’ trashier,” Anderson told ABC4. “When I first come down here, it was clean and some of these people, I don’t know why, they’re creating their own dumps.” He said that the police stop by sometimes but do not make anyone move.
Learn more in this news video from ABC4 in Salt Lake City.
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