What is city of Merced doing to deal with homeless in shopping center?

I’m writing in regards to the homeless situation in the Smart & Final shopping center on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. I’ve been in the shopping center after 9 p.m. several times recently. On every occasion I’ve seen numerous homeless people camped out in the parking lot and around the businesses. There is one person who was living out of a car and several others with their belongings sleeping in the building alcoves. There are two who regularly sleep in the thoroughfare of the parking lot by Dickey’s.

Their presence throughout the shopping center makes perspective customers feel uneasy, not to mention the sanitation issues. I would like to know what the city of Merced is doing to resolve this situation.

This story was originally published June 19, 2018 at 3:49 PM with the headline "What is city of Merced doing to deal with homeless in shopping center?."