Eight long-term residents of the River’s Edge Campground in Knights Ferry have been ordered to vacate the premises as of May 8 – in spite of health issues, advanced age, and a lack of resources.

According to news sources, many of the evicted residents are on a fixed income and can’t afford an apartment with their meager resources, and immediate help through Stanislaus County involves landing on wait lists that are months long.

The River’s Edge Campground Manager cited permitting issues as the main reason for the evictions, as the campground is not permitted for long-term visitors and the process to amend the permitting is lengthy and complicated.

One resident, a 68-year-old man, has lived at the campground for 11 years and has admitted he has nowhere else to go.

The property manager said while the previous manager had allowed for long-term visitors, the property has since been cited three times in 2020 for permit violations. The property owner has managed to avoid paying fines to this point, only because he’s been working with Stanislaus County’s Planning Department.

A county representative is reportedly also working with the long-term campground residents in an attempt to locate emergency resources.