While the city was working to open a safe parking area for RVs that would accommodate 29 vehicles and a "cabin community" with 31 beds, neither site was yet ready for occupancy. The streets of Oakland are already full of unhoused persons, many of whom were previously evicted from their encampments.". March 23, 2021 6:54 PM PT. Related Articles Housing | The Commission shall review relevant financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the homeless services fund. Their. The encampment is on property owned by the city, railroads and various government agencies, including Caltrans, which owns the property directly under the freeway. Caltrans spokesperson Rocquel Johnson said the agency plans to eventually completely close the parts of the encampment that are under freeway overpasses and work to relocate people to safer conditions.. Oakland firefighters responded to 90% of the 988 encampment calls they received in less than eight minutes. The city may now post notices of the closure and shall give individuals at the encampment at least seven days notice before the closure begins, Orrick wrote. James Wiseman, leadership genius? She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Workers remove a couch from the Wood Street homeless encampment on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. Californias stormy weather is having an unusual effect on S.F. (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. Bay Bridge light display will go dark after a decade Sunday. 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.. And it was clear at the hearing that the city, county and Caltrans still had not worked out a plan for a number of different issues related to the encampment's closure, including who would do the outreach to residents and where residents' belongings would be kept. Caltrans announced it is closing the entire Wood Street . And Orrick agreed. Wood Street residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, Husbands-Hankin said. Jones and several residents presented their idea of a self-governed site to city staff and Fife at a meeting last summer. Officials said they do not know when construction on a community cabin site would begin. 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.". We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. In these situations, the Encampment Response Map will include information about the code violation case instead of details about an encampment cleanup effort. At the start of 2020, the city was conducting several camp closures each monthseven in January, and nine each in February and Marchuntil COVID-19 cases began rising and the county went on lockdown. 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.". The Wood Street homeless encampment once housed 200 people and covered 40 acres. 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. Audit: Oakland's $12.6M homelessness response lacked strategy Wood Street encampment resident Theo Cedar Jones points to a map of the area hes living near. But Orrick said requiring Caltrans to provide those resources was beyond the scope of the law. The man, who was not identified, was taken into custody. He currently plays for his neighbors outside his shelter, where a piano, guitar and drums are set up. Gavin Newsoms office publicly excoriated Oakland officials for failing to cooperate and threatened to withhold state funds. Residents say the camp is a place where they can live how they want after losing stable homes because of evictions or job losses. She said some weeks she only had 25 open shelter beds out of nearly 600 in the system. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. (KRON4 News) OAKLAND ( KRON) - A two-alarm fire in an Oakland homeless . Talya Husbands-Hankin, a homeless advocate who witnessed the incident, said the city was out in extreme force, resulting in more trauma for the unhoused residents.. Stay in touch. Oakland which has more than 5,000 homeless people currently has 598 year-round, city-funded shelter beds, 313 community cabin and temporary structure shelter spaces, 147 RV safe parking spaces and 353 city-funded transitional-shelter beds. There were more than 40 people living there on Dec. 22, when Oakland gave notice that it intended to evict all persons on Jan. 9 to clear the site for the development of low-income housing. City and state leaders say a deadly fire that occurred in April at the site, killing one and displacing five, makes action there all the more urgent. Review and respond annually to the Citys Homeless Encampment Policy and the Permanent Access to Housing Path Plan which shall be presented to the Commission, as well as hear reports on the housing, programs, and services for persons experiencing homelessness in the City including, but not limited to. We are in a catch-22., Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. To report an issue related to an encampment, please email Homelessness@oaklandca.gov. February 22, 2023. Local News | Resident Ron McGowan, who lives at the site in question, said there are about 80 people there. Lawsuit demands Oakland crack down on homeless camps - The Mercury News View the map in a new window. Oakland closes a Fruitvale homeless camp, putting its new encampment Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation Fife said the site which could offer pallet shelters, a community kitchen, bathrooms and wraparound services could house many of Wood Streets residents. She joined The Chronicle in 2016 after graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. After nearly two-month delay, judge lets Oakland remove homeless camp Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. Gavin Newsoms administration awarded Oakland a $4.7. people had to eat at charity style centers, and a sunday 'picnic in the park' feed. The departments goal is to respond to 90% of calls within seven minutes. When the City decides to close an encampment, the Team makes every effort to relocate encampment dwellers to emergency shelters or community cabins. But the injunction was dissolved in phases, beginning in August of 2022, giving residents more time to find other alternatives. 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). (213) 229-1700. You can report an encampment at the following locations: Bridges Highways Parks or playgrounds Outside of residential and commercial buildings Roadway tunnels Streets and sidewalks Subway stations Report an encampment. Now, both new shelter sites appear to be up and running, and the judge has once again changed course. We are ready to scale up for reductions in homelessness, though new state and federal funds and more intergovernmental coordination are needed. Antioch council to discuss new liquor stores ban, homeless housing The city has demonstrated it now has enough shelter beds for everyone who will be displaced by the camps closure, U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled. Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years Credit: Darwin BondGraham. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. "What I have tried to do is create a possibility of relocation in a way that is the least harmful to the people who live on Wood Street," he said at the hearing. It dissolves a restraining order that previously halted Caltrans plans to clear the camp and allows the city to begin a phased closure of the encampment. Instead of clearing homeless camps, Oakland is spiffing them up - SFGATE 211 West Temple Street. Rise in Homeless Encampment Fires Worries CA Firefighters Court Allows City To Close Homeless Encampment At 1707 Wood Street Homeless Encampment at Lake Merritt Blvd Oakland, CA, 94607, USA: Hi, both sidewalks on either side of the channel going from Lake Merritt to the Bay are entirely blocked by homeless encampments. That's higher than what a typical . As he drove past the intersection of 21st and E streets in Northwest Washington, a 68-year-old man peered through the window, struck by an encampment of homeless people here that grew from 10 . OaklandWorkers continued Monday to clear the massive homeless encampment along Wood Street in West Oakland. The decision from Judge William Orrick comes after a month-long legal battle between residents and the transit agency, the city, and the county. Housing | They alleged that there were then 42 residents living at the site and only 27 shelter beds in the entire city. Lydia Blumberg, whos lived at Wood Street for at least five years, called the decision beyond disappointing., Everyone wants to wash their hands of us, she said after the hearing. Ideally, the auditors office wrote, those calls should have been responded to in 10 to 15 minutes. A show made by people behind bars in California prisons. ", previously halted Caltrans plans to clear the camp. Ramona Choyce lost everything in a fire in March at the encampment, which has seen several blazes in the past year. 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. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Housing | In May, city officials told The Chronicle that they dont have enough shelter beds to offer to everyone at Wood Street. Caltrans has completed much smaller sweeps in the past. Orange County Sheriff's Department. 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. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: A member of the Oakland Police Department posts warning notices for illegally parked vehicles 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. I do not look forward to being kicked out. The city plans to offer approximately 40 emergency shelter beds to residents in the first phase of the closure, though its unclear how many people actually live in the affected area. They come in out of nowhere, said Ben Murawski, another Wood Street resident, lamenting how agency employees destroy our homes.. Police said a person allegedly assaulted a public works employee and when officers tried to detain him, he refused and they used force. 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. A resident of the 1707 Wood site and a local advocate then brought suit against Oakland in federal court asking that the city be enjoined. Inside a Homeless Encampment as It's Being Torn Down The final 2019-2021 budget allocates $32 million to address homelessness by: expanding health, sanitation, safety services for unsheltered residents funding self-governed encampments and temporary housing options such as tiny homes, shipping containers, and mobile homes. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. The Oakland city auditor in April released a report that highlighted a litany of problems that plague the city's estimated 140 homeless communities, including: 1,599 interventions for "hygiene . Caltrans OK to Clear Oakland's Largest Homeless Encampment, Federal "These are vehicles of human beings," he said at the hearing, "and they are not to be lost.". The city did not say exactly when it planned to begin closing the encampment, but said it would make reasonable efforts to avoid displacing people during excessive rain or very cold weather. Residents sued in July, saying it was more dangerous to force people to move on such short notice with no alternatives for shelter or housing. Local News | If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. It ended badly, Hit bean company Rancho Gordo embroiled in discrimination lawsuit. On Tuesday, homeless people in Echo Park were faced with a decision as an imminent city closure drew near. People are seen in a homeless encampment on Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) SAN FRANCISCO (CN) A temporary restraining order put in place last month to protect the unhoused residents of an encampment the city of Oakland had hoped to clear to make way for new affordable housing has been dissolved. He said his latest order could be rescinded if the city fails to provide enough shelter beds or fails to make outreach workers available to help displaced residents find alterative shelter. Unhoused people in Oakland built an eco-oasis during the pandemic The transportation agency said in a release they will begin shutting down the entire encampment in phases beginning July 20 and will work with city officials and the county to place people in alternate shelter. 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. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Community members watch as workers clear a section of the Wood Street homeless encampment near an area known as Cob on Wood on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. Homeless Encampment - Issue #13733349 - Civic Center, Oakland, CA Oakland fire at homeless encampment extinguished - KRON4 Over the past seven years, Oaklands Wood Street encampment has exploded in size. Additionally, the Commission shall be requested to publish reports regarding the following: Canceled - Commission on Homelessness Meeting, Commission on Homelessness - Bylaws and Rules of Procedure. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 5: Maria Fuentes, who is a coordinator at the Community of Grace homeless encampment, shows their community garden across from the Home Depot on the 4000 block of . News Feb 07, 2023 The city doesnt have the resources to close something as large as Wood Street, said LaTonda Simmons, the citys former interim homelessness administrator. Newly formed Oakland homeless encampment on Caltrans property cleared Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? Homeless Encampment Protocol & Reporting Tool A hand-painted sign can be seen at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided Tuesday at 3:07 PM. Ramona Choyce recounts the moment when an April fire killed one person at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland. Narcan spray and other sanitary products can be seen on a book shelf. Theo Cedar Jones, a resident at Wood Street for nearly two years who lives in a makeshift shelter, said he doesnt like the citys community cabin model and wouldnt use it. Gov. Newsom blasts Oakland leaders for not handling rampant homeless Homeless Encampment at 9418 Edes Ave Oakland, CA, 94603, USA: Im a community member and my street is getting full of RV and abandoned cars for many months now. Our housed and unhoused residents are counting on us to make this right, Ruby wrote. Oakland mayor appoints former Compton city manager as Interim City Administrator . Homeless Encampment Closure Allowed By Judge | Alameda, CA Patch 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. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. Its absurd to think that we've gotten this far through this process and we have not had anybody take a survey of who is actually affected by this, McGowan said at the hearing. Oakland, together we can meet this crisis, expand our progress, and reduce homelessness in our community. To reduce homelessness, we must slow its growth and keep more people in their homes. Housing | 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. Brigitte Nicoletti, an attorney assisting residents in their pro se lawsuit, reiterated that request at the hearing on Friday. Judge will allow Oakland to clear dozens from massive homeless camp Oakland homeless advocates turn underpass encampment - New York Post Dozens of Caltrans workers and California Highway . 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. Judge dissolves order that barred Oakland from clearing Wood Street The Oakland City Council voted Monday to open a co-governed homeless encampment to provide shelter for 40 people in West Oakland making it potentially the second site that residents and. LA CITY COUNCIL GREENLIGHTS BAN ON HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS 500 FEET FROM SCHOOLS, DAYCARE CENTERS Though Newsom's handling of the Oakland matter was worded authoritatively, the governor has also. Pushing people with no real and adequate shelter to accommodate them is inhumane and does not solve the larger problem.. The Team provides sanitation services and regular trash pick up. City workers do a sweep at the homeless encampment under Interstate 580 in West Oakland as the city promise to deliver porter potties, fences, regular trash pickup, and counseling . Cars, RVs and debris burned Monday, sending a giant cloud of smoke into the sky, and freezing highway traffic in the vicinity. Caltrans says it's closing Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment because of safety concerns. 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 . 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The Oakland police department, the Oakland city councilmember responsible for the area, and the mayor's office official running specific policy towards homeless encampments did not respond to a . Caltrans crews wait to clear the Wood Street encampment in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2022, while residents and advocates block the road. The audit also analyzed the citys ability to respond when its unhoused communities need help. . When you are dealing with homeless individuals or a homeless encampment, these types of crimes include: Trespassing Public intoxication Public urination You report that you've witnessed a crime to the police or sheriff. 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The plaintiffs have raised serious questions that the state will violate their constitutional rights, Orrick wrote in his July order, by placing them in increased danger when it removes them at short notice from the encampment without adequate plans to provide shelter.. By City News Service on . Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. Oakland was overwhelmed by the crisis, leaving staff working to solve the problem without proper training or resources, according to the report. Photograph: Talia Herman/The Guardian Caltrans to clear Oakland homeless encampment near MacArthur Maze She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. Homeless advocates said residents were offered alternative shelter spaces. 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She joined The Chronicle in 2016 after graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Oakland Unveils 100-Person Tiny-Home Village at Troubled Wood Street Earlier this month, Gov. City of Oakland | Oakland's Response to Homelessness We are hard at work implementing that policy amidst a historic budget shortfall, staffing shortages, and an ongoing pandemic that has limited the shelter options available to the residents of our encampments, the statement continued.