Squatters evicted from Melbourne homes

Police have arrested three people and told squatters to leave a Melbourne house bought for the dumped East West Link.

They and government officers had been attempting to remove the squatters from the Bendigo Street residence in Collingwood for months and were working with the Salvation Army to find them legal accommodation.

Two women have been arrested over what police say is stolen property and a man has been taken into custody over an outstanding warrant.

Homeless Persons' Union's Kelly Whitworth, who previously lived in another house on Bendigo Street, says the government's handling of the situation is unreasonable.

"They've had a lot of time to attend to this properly but they've chosen not to," she said.

"They've come in here jackboot style with police and it's just really unnecessary."

Ms Whitworth said up to 30 police officers in addition to private security guards attended the scene.

Furniture and household effects were removed from the house and put into two removalists' vans before Bendigo Street residents and other bystanders recovered them and took them to other houses.