Oakland residents told a polling firm in 2023 that homelessness, such as at the Wood Street encampment, is their top concern for the city to address in its coming budget. February 22, 2023. Credit: Darwin BondGraham. The encampment is one of the. He allowed Caltrans to continue removing debris from the area, as long as it didnt involve residents belongings. Santa Ana, California 92703. Jones and several residents presented their idea of a self-governed site to city staff and Fife at a meeting last summer. Residents of the encampment said they know that Caltrans has long wanted to clear them out and plan to resist if the sweep happens. Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. 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. 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. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. Housing | The city says it needs to clear the camp to make way for a 170-unit affordable housing project planned for the site. I really love this life here.. Last year Caltrans cleared a much larger camp between 200 and 300 people on a neighboring lot owned by the transit agency. 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. But those are things that are beyond what can be ordered in this case.". Housing | In these situations, the Encampment Response Map will include information about the code violation case instead of details about an encampment cleanup effort. Ideally, the auditors office wrote, those calls should have been responded to in 10 to 15 minutes. She graduated from American University with a BA degree in literature with a minor in journalism. On Monday morning, workers removed vehicles, furniture and other items from the encampment on Caltrans property underneath the MacArthur Maze. Multiple fires have erupted at the city's largest homeless encampment, which. If you would like to report new concern, please use the TacomaFIRST 311 online system or call 3-1-1 within city limits or (253) 591-5000 outside the city. 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. The homeless population has jumped by 63% since 2017 in Oakland, where the median house sales price is about $750,000. Staff Attorneys will primarily . Staff closed and cleaned about 500 encampments during the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years including camps that were closed once, repopulated, and then were closed again. In May, Gov. James Wiseman, leadership genius? Caltrans plans to clear 200 homeless people from the sprawling site by the first week of August, officials said. City officials have been . The department is taking this action to address the increasingly serious safety risks to life, property and infrastructure at the encampment, including from the fire this week that prompted the closure of the MacArthur Maze, Caltrans said in a statement. 1,000 people on a section of the former Oakland Army Base. What could reparations mean for Black residents of Alameda County? He says Caltrans has forced him to move several times. The complaint stated, "The residents of 1707 Wood Street have nowhere to go. 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 . Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. 211 West Temple Street. 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Pushing people with no real and adequate shelter to accommodate them is inhumane and does not solve the larger problem.. 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. Weve created a system of effective strategies that address homelessness at every step in the cycle. Although the first phase includes offers of temporary shelter, Orrick said subsequent phases could continue whether or not shelter was available. The encampment is on property owned by the city, railroads and various government agencies, including Caltrans, which owns the property directly under the freeway. Raised eyebrows. The encampment spans nearly 25 city blocks with about 300 people living under freeways in tents, RVs and makeshift shelters amid burned-out vehicles, mounds of trash and dirt. Resident Ron McGowan, who lives at the site in question, said there are about 80 people there. The Oakland City Council has . Gavin Newsoms office publicly excoriated Oakland officials for failing to cooperate and threatened to withhold state funds. 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 Oakland Fire . In October of 2020, the Oakland City Council adopted an Encampment Management Policy to focus encampment actions on mitigating negative outcomes as they pertain to public safety, public health, and equity outcomes. If its model is a success, Oakland could win more state funds to help more Wood Street residents. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? 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. 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 . The city wants to build the state-funded community cabin site in partnership with residents and a provider who would offer wraparound services at the site. And Orrick agreed. He found that the plaintiffs raised at least a significant question about whether the doctrine applied to them and concluded that under all the circumstances, including the weather and the ongoing "tripledemic," it was appropriate to issue the TRO, though he telegraphed that the pause on eviction would not be unlimited. The city's lawyers had no comment on the ruling. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. Over the next several weeks, the Caltrans site was cleaned and cleared and the residents moved to other locations and situations. But IT network challenges ended up delaying the opening of the tiny homes (the city proclaimed a state of emergency earlier this month after a ransomware attack brought down many online systems), prompting the judge to once again bar Oakland from clearing the camp. 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. The expert behind the report compared it to the poorest places in the world, decried the lack of access to clean water and toilets, and said the rodent infestations, fire dangers and other hazards should be quickly addressed. The Encampment Management Policy seeks to address the adverse health and safety impacts of unsheltered homelessness, with compassion and care to not criminalize poverty. Repairing damage to lighting at Union Point Park is expected to cost another $500,000, not including additional repairs that must be done to bathrooms, landscaping, benches and other amenities. Newsom paid a surprise visit to the encampment in April to show the inhumane living conditions too many Californians face.. OAKLAND, CA - MAY 5: A homeless encampment is photographed on a plot of land along East 12th Street and 1st Avenue on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. The controversial policy was approved by the City Council last year, but it's largely gone unenforced. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. 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. Local News | Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). The choice: Leave, or hunker down. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. Californias stormy weather is having an unusual effect on S.F. (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 the Cob on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. Earlier this month, another federal judge allowed that work to continue. OAKLAND, Calif. ( KRON) Caltrans announced in a press release Friday that it will shut down the homeless encampment on Wood Street. kept in homes through Keep Oakland Housed in Fiscal Year 19-20, moved from homelessness to permanent housing in Fiscal Year 19-20, Oakland doubled transitional housing capacity from 2018-2020, City of Oakland Opens 100-bed Cabin Shelter Program at Wood Street, Estelle Clemons, Interim Director of Human Services and, Daniel Cooper, Homelessness Administrator, The Funding will enable the Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing project to make accessibility and other improvements to the building to address the needs of some of our most vulnerable neighbors, Learn About the City's Homelessness Strategy, Joint Statement regarding Homeless Services Performance Audit, City of Oakland Receives $5.6M Homekey Award for Transitional Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation. Local News | Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? LAPD union supports unarmed responders to certain 911 calls including homeless encampment clean-ups 0. That would allow the city and county to figure out their outreach programs so that there could be actual adequate outreach, she said, instead of a rushed approach that will lead to immense danger and harm to the residents.. Clutch, a 40-year-old resident, holds his neighbors dog, Panda, near his van at Oaklands Wood Street homeless encampment. Oakland police took an average of four to six hours to respond to emergency calls in encampments during the last two fiscal years, according to the audit. We cant go far, Clutch said. She said some weeks she only had 25 open shelter beds out of nearly 600 in the system. Skinny lives at 37MLK, the homeless encampment in Oakland, California, that was created by community organizers taking over a vacant lot. Oakland, together we can meet this crisis, expand our progress, and reduce homelessness in our community. Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oakland's most vulnerable. 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Recommendations from the Commission on how to prioritize the allocation of funds in accordance with the requirements of this Chapter, including for: services and programs for homeless people, reduction of homelessness, and supporting the provision of affordable housing to households qualifying as at least low-income households (those at 55% AMI or below). Earlier this week, a coalition of residents wrote a public letter to state, city and county officials urging them to work with them. The encampment is one of the largest in the city and has been plagued with problems such as illegal dumping and fires for years. He issued a temporary injunction on July 19, 2022. A number of residents relocated to a two-acre parcel at 1707 Wood St. owned by Oakland. After Caltrans clears part of the encampment, residents move to another part sometimes city property. Oakland police towed several vehicles parked by a homeless camp near the Fruitvale Home Depot on Thursday, as part of a cleanup and closure operation. There are another 40 spaces available in pre-existing tiny home, safe parking and other sites throughout the city and there likely will be dozens of beds free at St. Vincent de Paul, a dorm-style shelter in West Oakland, according to the city. Multiple fires have erupted at the citys largest homeless encampment, which extends for several city blocks and has been home to hundreds of people. A day later, tensions escalated when witnesses said Oakland police tased an encampment resident. He dissolved the TRO immediately, conditioned on the city's representations that there would be sufficient shelter options for the displaced residents. 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 . It is . Photograph: Talia Herman/The Guardian Over the years, advocates have thwarted city attempts to close the encampment, demanding that the city offer residents adequate shelter or to leave them be. 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. The EMT is facilitated by the City Administrator's Office via the Homelessness Administrator and receives input and advice from the Commission on Homelessness. 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.. Jones and several other residents want the city and state to give them the land to build their own community, equipped with a kitchen and common area to play music. Now is the big showdown, said Theo Cedar Jones, a resident at Wood Street for nearly two years. But the injunction was dissolved in phases, beginning in August of 2022, giving residents more time to find other alternatives. The new report, completed by City Auditor Courtney Ruby, found that the EMT was "overwhelmed by the undertaking of closing and cleaning encampments throughout Oakland." Ruby found that Oakland spent $12.6 million on tasks related to encampments over the past two years, and roughly $1,500 an hour on camp closures and cleanings. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. A large fire broke out at the encampment on Monday,. He concluded his decision with "I recognize that no party is happy with this order. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Police tagged vehicles with illegal parking notices as residents scrambled to move motorcycles, cars and RVs. A. The city also spent money on contracts, legal costs, towing abandoned cars and police and fire responses to encampment emergencies. When could it return? 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. After nearly two-month delay, judge allows Oakland to remove large homeless camp When the City decides to close an encampment, the Team makes every effort to relocate encampment dwellers to emergency shelters or community cabins. Meanwhile, Council Member Carroll Fife, who represents the district that includes the Wood Street encampment, has directed the city administration to study creating an emergency shelter for 1,000 people on a section of the former Oakland Army Base. The city estimates there are at least 140 encampments scattered throughout Oakland. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. The money would fund a new community cabin site or tiny home village at Wood Street for about 50 people. 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. Oaklands biggest homeless encampment could massively shrink with planned sweep of 200 people, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. Without a "constitutional right to housing," Orrick said he had no authority to allow the encampment to remain on the property. But that's only a fraction of the more than 5,000 encampments on . 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. A hand-painted sign can be seen at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, May 3, 2022. Sign up for our daily newsletter. the city has scheduled sweeps of the site, cleared the parts of the encampment on its property. 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 pandemic caused the city to halt most encampment closures, but now city staff say closures are on the table as long as shelter space is available. Oakland was overwhelmed by the crisis, leaving staff working to solve the problem without proper training or resources, according to the report. by Natalie Orenstein March 25, 2021. (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. 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. Over the past seven years, Oaklands Wood Street encampment has exploded in size. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Housing | 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. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. people had to eat at charity style centers, and a sunday 'picnic in the park' feed. Its uncertain if Caltrans has the authority to clear land it doesnt own. He issued a temporary injunction on July 19, 2022. They asked for resources to make the encampment safer, including access to dumpsters for trash removal, fire extinguishers, sand buckets, water hoses and assistance creating markers throughout the encampment so that emergency service providers could more easily navigate the area. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oaklands most vulnerable. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. Gavin Newsoms administration awarded Oakland a $4.7. Yes, that's a toucan flying around Walnut Creek. On Monday, police said the man is facing charges for throwing an object at a vehicle. 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. Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. Caltrans says it's closing Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment because of safety concerns. July 20, 2022 / 8:52 AM / CBS San Francisco OAKLAND -- A federal judge on Tuesday granted a temporary order blocking Caltrans from clearing a homeless encampment under the MacArthur Maze. We're not homeless. At the time, city officials said they didnt yet have a timeline on when the new cabin community at Wood Street would break ground. Now, both new shelter sites appear to be up and running, and the judge has once again changed course. But Orrick told the agencies to work it out. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. In an attempt to fend off the impending closure of the Commons, residents sued the city in early January. But the city didnt give the team the resources it needed including a budget, according to the audit. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. Marisa Kendall is a housing reporter for the Bay Area News Group who covers homelessness for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. The Oakland, California Homeless Problem is Beyond Belief Nick Johnson 762K subscribers Subscribe 112K 13M views 1 year ago #california #moving Is this where America is headed? Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided March 23, 2021 6:54 PM PT. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? OAKLAND -- The biggest homeless encampment in Oakland will soon be shut down. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided July 11, 2022 Updated 3:24 PM PT. We do need permanent supportive housing and where is it? She graduated from American University with a BA degree in literature with a minor in journalism. The City has implemented a number of interventions at every step in the cycle. Tuesday at 3:07 PM. Caltrans crews remove a vehicle from the Wood Street encampment in West Oakland on July 19, 2022. hese are vehicles of human beings," he said at the hearing, "and they are not to be lost. Russell Wilson asked for Pete Carroll, Seahawks GM to be fired; QB denies report. What Happens Next Officers from your local police precinct will respond within 4 hours. City staff were there to clear out residents from the northern part of the encampment, near the city-sanctioned RV safe parking site. The shelters are full. But the lots homeless residents, who have developed a tight-knit community they call the Commons, argue theyll suffer when that community is broken up and theyre forced to scatter to other locations including to shelter programs that might not meet their physical and mental health needs.
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