After nearly two-month delay, judge allows, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, After nearly two-month delay, judge allows Oakland to remove large homeless camp, Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided, Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation, Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years. The Commission shall review relevant financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the homeless services fund. Stay in touch. Over the past seven years, Oaklands Wood Street encampment has exploded in size. City officials have been . He and the others had lived in four old buses one of which was destroyed during the move and a van. Hall of Justice. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. after a two-alarm fire broke out Monday at the site, decried the lack of access to clean water. The action will set in motion the eviction of several dozen people living on a vacant, city-owned lot off Wood Street in West Oakland . The Oakland City Council unanimously passed a new homeless encampment policy Tuesday, more than 10 hours into a meeting where dozens of members of the public spoke passionately about the proposal and protesters rallied outside two councilmembers' homes. A lawsuit alleges that Stanford-trained chemists Alexander Burckle and Elizabeth Webster nearly drowned after a dive boat left them behind in choppy water near Maui. She previously covered startups and venture capital for the Bay Area News Group and prior to that court cases for The Recorder in San Francisco. I stretched the point up until now in order to try to get to some sort of a place that recognizes the humanity of the people who've been talking to me.. In the meantime, residents say they live in constant fear that they will be forced to leave with little notice. The city also spent money on contracts, legal costs, towing abandoned cars and police and fire responses to encampment emergencies. For now, it appears that camp residents will have at least another long weekend at the park before the standoff continues. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation Workers have been clearing the sprawling camp in phases, a process that started in July. According to "point-in-time" counts cited in their pleadings, there were 5,055 individuals in Oakland experiencing homelessness, of which 3,347 were unsheltered. In an earlier statement, Caltrans said it planned to clear the camp to address the increasingly serious safety risks to life, property and infrastructure at the encampment. The agency said it was coordinating with the city and the county to offer residents shelter. We do need permanent supportive housing and where is it? How long has the homeless encampment been there? (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Community members move a motorcycle to a trailer at the Wood Street homeless encampment on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. But those are things that are beyond what can be ordered in this case.". Brigitte Nicoletti, an attorney assisting residents in their pro se lawsuit, reiterated that request at the hearing on Friday. The Encampment Management Team tracks all known encampments and prioritizes interventions based on health, safety, and size issues. The conditions at the encampment which has mountains of trash and burned-out vehicles were called cruel and inhumane in a U.N. report from 2018. Determine findings that will prompt EMT intervention; Provide guidance on addressing unreasonable health and safety risks, promoting voluntary compliance, and strategies to address non-compliance. We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. People living in vehicles represent 35% of Oakland's overall homeless population. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Oakland Unveils 100-Person Tiny-Home Village at Troubled Wood Street Encampment What was once northern California's largest homeless encampment at Wood Street in Oakland now has a. At the time, city officials said they didnt yet have a timeline on when the new cabin community at Wood Street would break ground. The choice: Leave, or hunker down. She joined The Chronicle in 2016 after graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Now, both new shelter sites appear to be up and running, and the judge has once again changed course. She joined The Chronicle in 2016 after graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. 6 of 23 7 of 23. The only way to get through involves stepping over bulky items, bbq grills, bikes, tents, and garbage. Wood Street encampment resident Theo Cedar Jones points to a map of the area hes living near. Caltrans has completed much smaller sweeps in the past. Alameda Hot Spot Makes Best Sandwich List, Health Emergency Ends, COVID Vigilance Does Not, American Tulip Day & Free, U-Pick-Tulips 2023: Union Square, San Francisco, St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl: LepraCon San Francisco, Before & After Photos Show CA's Snowpack, Reservoirs After Storms, Best Bay Area Sandwiches + Stranded Hiker Rescued: Saturday Smiles, Sprawling Estates, Suburban Dreams: 11 Featured Bay Area Homes, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk], Monarch Butterflies: Our Fluttery Friends Are Wintering In The Area, Visit CA's National Parks For Free On 5 Fee-Free Days In 2023, Alameda County Gardening: November Checklist, Growing Spinach In Containers: Alameda County Gardening, What To Do In Alameda County Gardens In October. Clutch, a 40-year-old resident, holds his neighbors dog, Panda, near his van at Oaklands Wood Street homeless encampment. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. Ramona Choyce recounts the moment when an April fire killed one person at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, May 3, 2022. Earlier this month, another federal judge allowed that work to continue. We got three buses. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. Dozens of Caltrans workers and California Highway . But a solution might be on the horizon. She and her husband, Lenton, live in a 20-foot trailer at the Coliseum Stadium parking lot in Oakland. people had to eat at charity style centers, and a sunday 'picnic in the park' feed. She said some weeks she only had 25 open shelter beds out of nearly 600 in the system. On Monday, six weeks later, he proved his suspicions correct and dissolved the TRO, authorizing the city to clear the site and begin to ready the property for an affordable housing development. Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Our housed and unhoused residents are counting on us to make this right, Ruby wrote. News Feb 07, 2023 Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? by Natalie Orenstein March 25, 2021. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oaklands most vulnerable. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. Fed up with homeless encampments that have taken over streets, parks and open spaces, a group of Oakland residents is suing the city. In the meantime, residents at Wood Street say few officials have come to consult with them on relocation plans. Tucked away from the street, the encampment, commonly known as Wood Street, stretches along property owned by Caltrans, the city of Oakland, BNSF Railway and private owners. The Encampment Management Team (EMT) is an interdepartmental working group consisting of representatives from Oaklands Public Works Department (OPW), Human Services Department (HSD), Oakland Police Department (OPD), Oakland Fire Department (OFD), the City Administrators Office (CAO), and other consulted departments as necessary (e.g., the Mayors Office, the City Attorneys Office, Parks and Recreation). In October, the City Council approved an Encampment Management Policy, which prioritizes the removal of camps near homes, businesses, schools and other areas, and lays out health and safety rules encampments must follow. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? That site reportedly contained a communal area used to organize donations and cook group meals several nights a week as well as "pop-up clinics, regular open mics, and other community town hall events.". Settlement reached between . You will be asked to sign off on an arrest warrant. the city has scheduled sweeps of the site, cleared the parts of the encampment on its property. Oakland firefighters responded to 90% of the 988 encampment calls they received in less than eight minutes. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as degraded water quality in the tidal marsh, will cost the city an estimated $550,000, according to the report. They're looking to make us homeless. 211 West Temple Street. Caltrans announced it is closing the entire Wood Street . She graduated from American University with a BA degree in literature with a minor in journalism. Gov. Now, they live on city property along Wood Streets right-of-way. Caltrans plans to clear out 200 homeless people from the sprawling homeless encampment at Oaklands Wood Street by the first week of August, officials said. Photos by Bront Wittpenn and Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle, decried the lack of access to clean water, just awarded Oakland a $4.7 million grant. Caltrans removed five people living on its property between 16th and 20th streets after the deadly fire in April and is now installing concrete barriers and fencing to prevent people from returning to the area. The report lays out 26 recommendations, all of which the city has committed to following, according to the auditors office. A United Nations report from 2018, for example, stated that a U.N. investigator witnessed officials "attempting to discourage residents from remaining in informal settlements or encampments by denying access to water, sanitation and health services and other basic necessities, [which] constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment and is a . Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). The order is the latest in a long-running dispute over a homeless camp that once covered 40 acres under the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland, where between 200 and 300 people lived in vehicles, RVs, tents and other makeshift structures. The encampment is one of the largest in the city and has been plagued with problems such as illegal dumping and fires for years. Related Articles Caltrans said it would shut down the entire encampment, clearing out about 200 people who live there. We cant just let people to continue to die on the sidewalks while we try to figure out what permanent solutions can be, Fife said. Call Taker: Is the homeless encampment within 500 feet of a waterway (creek, lake or bay)? Its been a struggle just to stand up emergency shelters.. Wood Street encampment resident Theo Cedar Jones points to a map of the area hes living near at the Wood Street encampment on April 29, 2022 in Oakland, California.on Friday. The Commission on Homelessness provides oversight of the Oakland vacant property tax received bv the City of Oakland for homeless services, and makes recommendations to the City Council for strategies to remedy homelessness. Earlier this week, a coalition of residents wrote a public letter to state, city and county officials urging them to work with them. The city of Oakland agreed to assist residents on identifying their options. And, he ordered the state transportation agency to work with staff from the city of Oakland and from Alameda County to come up with a plan to relocate residents. Three days later, a group of encampment residents sued Caltrans, the governor, Oakland and a number of public officials in federal court, alleging that their forced removal from the site would constitute an unconstitutional "state created danger" and place them at a high degree of risk because there were not adequate shelter options for them in Oakland. The number of people sleeping on Oaklands streets jumped from 1,902 in 2017 to 3,210 in 2019, according to the most recent point-in-time counts. Officials have argued that they dont have enough shelter beds to accommodate the number of people living at the encampment, which spans 25 city blocks. They have lacked funding, housing options and staff, he said. As of last week, the city has offered shelter beds to about 70 people at the Wood Street encampment, according to the court filing. The judge noted that while the U.S. constitution does not require the government to protect people from harm caused by third persons, there is an exception when the state "affirmatively places [a plaintiff] in danger by acting with deliberate indifference to a known or obvious danger.". Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. Oakland, together we can meet this crisis, expand our progress, and reduce homelessness in our community. (213) 229-1700. Among its recommendations, the audit found the city should ensure staff members are trained in crisis management and interacting with traumatized encampment residents. He says Caltrans has forced him to move several times. The city says it needs to clear the camp to make way for a 170-unit affordable housing project planned for the site. Wood Street encampment resident Theo Cedar Jones plays guitar. It ended badly, Hit bean company Rancho Gordo embroiled in discrimination lawsuit. They said the city had not fulfilled promises made in connection with the prior lawsuit. The money would fund a new community cabin site or tiny home village at Wood Street for about 50 people. The order is the latest in a long-running dispute over a homeless camp that once covered 40 acres under the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland, where between 200 and 300 people lived in vehicles, RVs, tents and other makeshift structures. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation City lawyers had no comment on the ruling. An officer will be dispatched to your location. On Monday morning, workers removed vehicles, furniture and other items from the encampment on Caltrans property underneath the MacArthur Maze. Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years The encampment is on property owned by the city, railroads and various government agencies, including Caltrans, which owns the property directly under the freeway. Ideally, the auditors office wrote, those calls should have been responded to in 10 to 15 minutes. It is both a humanitarian duty and a civic expectation that our homeless become housed, and our City streets and parks are returned to their intended public uses.. Cold Bay Area rains fail to shut down vibrant Holi celebration in Fremont. Mayor Libby Schaaf, city administrator Ed Reiskin, police Chief LeRonne Armstrong and Daniel Cooper, the citys newly appointed homelessness administrator, were at Wood Street on Wednesday.
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