Crews remove elaborate homeless encampment above Arroyo Seco in Highland Park

Early Monday morning Highland Park city crews cleared an elaborate homeless encampment that had been sitting above the Arroyo Seco for years. 

The man living in the home, which is positioned just off the 110 Freeway, said that he had been there for five years and had never been bothered until Friday. He received a note that day while he was at work, but never received any followup afterwards. 

When he woke up Monday morning, crews were already outside. He says that they took almost everything, leaving behind some of the tools he needed for work. 

He's unsure what caused them to suddenly evict them from the area and has no idea where he can go now. Though disappointed by the sudden decision, he said that any information on a shelter or temporary housing would've been much more helpful than simply removing his home. 

The home drew some attention last year when it was spotted by news helicopters flying over the area. It appears to have been made out of two structures that were constructed with wood, tent and tarps. There were piles of precisely placed rocks that separated the "property" from the cement embankment of the Arroyo Seco. The man says that it had a bathtub and a working kitchen. 

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez's office oversees the area. In a statement issued to KCAL News last year, they said they're "urgently" working to find housing for the people living at the encampment. 

They also said that there were "safety issues posed by this structure and its proximity to the river."