Because of the connection to the earlier litigation, the case was assigned to Judge Orrick who entered a TRO on January 6, 2023. The only way to get through involves stepping over bulky items, bbq grills, bikes, tents, and garbage. OAKLAND, Calif. ( KRON) Caltrans announced in a press release Friday that it will shut down the homeless encampment on Wood Street. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation they paid around $400 a month in public assistance and charged. We're not homeless. After nearly two-month delay, judge allows Oakland to remove large homeless camp 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. Reporting an Issue If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. Oakland. 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. Nobody who lived in the homeless camp on Wood Street in Oakland was surprised when police cars and helmeted motorcycle officers started driving up and down the block early on a Tuesday. 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. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. They alleged that there were then 42 residents living at the site and only 27 shelter beds in the entire city. To report an issue related to an encampment, please email Homelessness@oaklandca.gov. by Natalie Orenstein March 25, 2021. In the meantime, residents at Wood Street say few officials have come to consult with them on relocation plans. In July, Caltrans alerted the residents they would have five days to pack their belongings and leave. James Wiseman, leadership genius? 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. The city estimates there are at least 140 encampments scattered throughout Oakland. 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. Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. What Happens Next Officers from your local police precinct will respond within 4 hours. Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oakland's most vulnerable. 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. Caltrans has completed much smaller sweeps in the past. Warriors treating Andrew Wiggins with understandable patience, but his Gov. 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. March 23, 2021 6:54 PM PT. The city's lawyers had no comment on the ruling. The news of the clearing comes after a two-alarm fire broke out Monday at the site, which dozens of blazes have torn through over the past year. Fed up with homeless encampments that have taken over streets, parks and open spaces, a group of Oakland residents is suing the city. 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. Housing | 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 . 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 . But Oakland only has 598-city-funded, year-round shelter beds and an estimated homeless population of 4,000 as of 2019 with nearly 80% of those unsheltered. Multiple fires have erupted at the citys largest homeless encampment, which extends for several city blocks and has been home to hundreds of people. This chart is updated at the end of each month. View the map in a new window. We are in a catch-22., Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Stuffed animals are seen on a couch at the Wood Street encampment on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Oakland, California. According to a report by the city administrative officer, the new East Hollywood campground costs approximately $2,663 per participant per month. 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. The city also spent money on contracts, legal costs, towing abandoned cars and police and fire responses to encampment emergencies. OaklandWorkers continued Monday to clear the massive homeless encampment along Wood Street in West Oakland. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided A. Sep 2022 Q. The Encampment Management Policy seeks to address the adverse health and safety impacts of unsheltered homelessness, with compassion and care to not criminalize poverty. 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. An attorney for the city said it doesn't have enough safe parking sites for everyone to bring their vehicles there. A federal judge on Monday ruled the city can resume efforts to remove dozens of people from a large homeless camp in West Oakland, ending a nearly two-month courtroom battle over the camps fate. 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.". Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years 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. Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. It is . The city of Oakland pursued closures of 98 encampments during the two years we examined. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years Velena Jones reports. (213) 229-1700. As of last week, the city has offered shelter beds to about 70 people at the Wood Street encampment, according to the court filing. 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. Gavin Newsoms administration awarded Oakland a $4.7. But those are things that are beyond what can be ordered in this case.". But if it fails to get people into real shelter and housing, it could be a cautionary tale for officials throughout California struggling with mushrooming encampments. There are 32 beds available in the new tiny home site off Wood Street, and another 28 new safe parking spaces in East Oakland, the city said in a court filing. A large column of black smoke rises Tuesday, April 5, 2022, from a fire at a homeless encampment next to West Grand Avenue and Wood Street in Oakland's Prescott neighborhood. OAKLAND -- The biggest homeless encampment in Oakland will soon be shut down. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: An officer with the California Highway Patrol marks a vehicle during a partial clearing of the Wood Street homeless encampment on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. Caltrans announced it is closing the entire Wood Street . In July, a large fire damaged a portion of Interstate 880. People living in vehicles represent 35% of Oakland's overall homeless population. 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. Wood Street residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, Husbands-Hankin said. In his written decision dissolving the injunction, Orrick recognized that even with the additional time and the help of the city, there were going to be people who would experience serious hardship. When U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick issued a temporary restraining order on Jan. 6, 2023 forbidding the city of Oakland from closing a homeless encampment at 1707 Wood St., he told. Husbands-Hankin said she saw an officer tase the man and tackle him to the ground. 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.. The order is the latest in a long-running dispute over a homeless camp, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options, Activist Judy Heumann led a reimagining of what it means to be disabled, How this year's Selma Bridge Crossing could mark a community renaissance, Storms across the U.S. cause deaths and power outages, Russia's foreign minister gets laughed at over Ukraine remarks at a global conference. In the six weeks following the TRO, the city advanced the RV park and cabin community projects to a point where it represented to the judge that it would be able to "hold" enough spots to accommodate all the 1707 Wood Street residents who wanted to be sheltered. The city needs to fund a formal encampment management program to implement the policy passed in October, and to address the findings of the audit, the auditors office wrote. Santa Ana, California 92703. Ramona Choyce recounts the moment when an April fire killed one person at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland. The city says it needs to clear the camp to make way for a 170-unit affordable housing project planned for the site. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The shelters are full. A federal judge on Friday refused to let Caltrans "wash their hands" of people living in a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland by clearing them from it. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. 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. The city doesnt have the resources to close something as large as Wood Street, said LaTonda Simmons, the citys former interim homelessness administrator. What could reparations mean for Black residents of Alameda County? They did not respond to questions as to what the object was. Narcan spray and other sanitary products can be seen on a book shelf at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, May 2, 2022. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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. . I do not look forward to being kicked out. 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. The homelessness crisis also has taken a toll on Oakland's public parks, according to the audit. The City has implemented a number of interventions at every step in the cycle. But that's only a fraction of the more than 5,000 encampments on . (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Workers take a break during a partial clearing of the Wood Street homeless encampment on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. Caltrans is overseeing the cleanup of its property along Wood Street. OAKLAND - Fire swept through a homeless encampment near the MacArthur Maze highway interchange in West Oakland on Monday morning. Housing | Officials said they do not know when construction on a community cabin site would begin. Diesel is expensive. 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. 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. 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. In May, city officials put the total number of residents in the encampment at 300 people. "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. They're looking to make us homeless. Related Articles 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 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. Check out the latest season about Muslim converts and past seasons of stories of struggle and never giving up hope. Yes, that's a toucan flying around Walnut Creek. 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? Homeless advocates said residents were offered alternative shelter spaces. We got three buses. Oaklands $12.6 million effort to deal with its recent explosion of homeless encampments was haphazard, lacking strategy, policy direction and adequate funding, according to a scathing new city audit. Last year Caltrans cleared a much larger camp between 200 and 300 people on a neighboring lot owned by the transit agency. 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. Dozens of Caltrans workers and California Highway . Oakland shut down a portion of its largest homeless encampment, starting the daunting work of clearing a massive, sprawling camp that has been plagued by fires as the city prepares to. The majority of the $12.6 million spent over the past two years went to staff and equipment associated with closing and cleaning encampments, as well as providing garbage services, portable toilets and water at camps. Now, they live on city property along Wood Streets right-of-way. Tuesday at 3:07 PM. Resident Ron McGowan, who lives at the site in question, said there are about 80 people there. 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. OAKLAND, CA When U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick issued a temporary restraining order on Jan. 6, 2023 forbidding the city of Oakland from closing a homeless encampment at 1707 Wood St., he told the parties he suspected the TRO would be "brief.". (KRON4 News) OAKLAND ( KRON) - A two-alarm fire in an Oakland homeless . The audit found the new policy lays the groundwork for needed change, but implementation has been slow, as the city is inundated with complaints about encampments. Since the restraining order was issued, another 12 fires have broken out on the site, Orrick said at the hearing. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. Where can we fit that? 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 . 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. Multiple fires have erupted at the city's largest homeless encampment, which. But the money is insufficient to help all the camps residents. Oakland mayor appoints former Compton city manager as Interim City Administrator . The city of Oakland agreed to assist residents on identifying their options. LAPD union supports unarmed responders to certain 911 calls including homeless encampment clean-ups 0. Earlier this month, Gov. 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. Home used to be a tent at the 77th Street homeless encampment, where they had to fill two . Report the issue to our encampment management team at homelessness@oaklandca.gov. Cars, RVs and debris burned Monday, sending a giant cloud of smoke into the sky, and freezing highway traffic in the vicinity. . OAKLAND - Caltrans announced Friday that they are shutting down a homeless encampment near the MacArthur Maze in West Oakland due to ongoing safety concerns and a large fire that tore. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? February 22, 2023. 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 . Stay in touch. 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. The plaintiffs asked that the eviction be enjoined because of a lack of shelter beds, heavy winter rains, and the continued prevalence of Covid and other viruses. A large fire that swept through a homeless encampment underneath the 880 Freeway in West Oakland on Monday destroyed several vehicles and RVs before it was put . Under state law, working with homeless individuals to identify housing or shelter alternatives is a local, not a state, responsibility.. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Workers remove debris 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. 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). She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. 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. Gavin Newsoms administration just awarded Oakland a $4.7 million grant to come up with a model at Wood Street one that can be replicated in other cities. 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. July 11, 2022 / 6:27 PM / CBS San Francisco. 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.. Settlement reached between . Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. The Encampment Management Team is responsible for implementing the Encampment Management Policy and directing coordination across city departments. Local News | The encampment is one of the. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. 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. We cant go far, Clutch said. And Orrick agreed. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? The City Council has to approve the plans and construction is likely to take longer than other sites because a set of railroad tracks cuts through the property.