Fed up with homeless encampments that have taken over streets, parks and open spaces, a group of Oakland residents is suing the city. City leaders say the encampment which spans property owned by the city, railroads and various government agencies is a crisis, but officials havent cleared it, arguing they dont have enough shelter beds for everyone. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. The EMT is facilitated by the City Administrator's Office via the Homelessness Administrator and receives input and advice from the Commission on Homelessness. We cant go far, Clutch said. 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. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. Reporting an Issue If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. It is . 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. Oaklands biggest homeless encampment could massively shrink with planned sweep of 200 people, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. Caltrans plans to clear 200 homeless people from the sprawling site by the first week of August, officials said. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. At issue is a large encampment on a city-owned piece of vacant land off Wood Street in West Oakland. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group). 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. 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. Bay Bridge light display will go dark after a decade Sunday. They're looking to make us homeless. 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. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. Housing | But the time for finger-pointing and disclaimers of responsibility is over. Staff Attorneys will primarily . We got three buses. Its been a struggle just to stand up emergency shelters.. 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. NO Share; The city of Oakland agreed to assist residents on identifying their options. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. Ramona Choyce lost everything in a fire in March at the encampment, which has seen several blazes in the past year. Members of the cleanup crew rolled tires and lifted couches overhead as larger equipment moved car after car, some just burned-out shells, off the state-owned lot. 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The encampment is one of the largest in the city and has been plagued with problems such as illegal dumping and fires for years. In July, a large fire damaged a portion of Interstate 880. View the list of locations and servicing schedule below. Gavin Newsoms administration awarded Oakland a $4.7. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. 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. 211 West Temple Street. 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. The city also spent money on contracts, legal costs, towing abandoned cars and police and fire responses to encampment emergencies. 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. July 11, 2022 / 6:27 PM / CBS San Francisco. Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. 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. 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. Skinny lives at 37MLK, the homeless encampment in Oakland, California, that was created by community organizers taking over a vacant lot. She graduated from American University with a BA degree in literature with a minor in journalism. 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. 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. 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. Among its recommendations, the audit found the city should ensure staff members are trained in crisis management and interacting with traumatized encampment residents. 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. City officials have been . Since the policy has gone into effect, two Oakland nonprofits have burned as a result of fires started in areas where the city knew there to be encampments. Caltrans has completed much smaller sweeps in the past. Clutch, a 40-year-old resident, holds his neighbors dog, Panda, near his van at Oaklands Wood Street homeless encampment. 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. The land was mostly owned by Caltrans, and after a history of fires on the site and concerns about the proximity of a nearby oxygen production plant, on July 15, 2022 the agency gave residents 5-days' notice to clear the site. A surprise sweep of a newly formed homeless encampment on state property has forced some unhoused West Oakland residents to move - yet again. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. On Monday morning, workers removed vehicles, furniture and other items from the encampment on Caltrans property underneath the MacArthur Maze. The complaint stated, "The residents of 1707 Wood Street have nowhere to go. 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. Information, if available, concerning the impacts of programs funded bv the Vacant Property Tax (2018 Measure W1 and 2020 Measure Q homelessness funds subject to Commission oversight this Ordinance on the occurrence of homelessness and illegal dumping outcomes in the City; Recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council on the Biennial Fiscal Year Budget, in accordance with the City Councils Consolidated Fiscal Policy at the time, that ensures that the Commission Chair communicates homelessness priorities to the Mayor and Council: and. City of Oakland Opens 100-bed Cabin Shelter Program at Wood Street, Estelle Clemons, Interim Director of Human Services and, Daniel Cooper, Homelessness Administrator, Court order would allow phased clean-up and closure operation to resume to abate potentially hazardous conditions that threaten public health and safety, Completed Encampment Management Operations, FACT SHEET: Wood Street Update - October 2022, FACT SHEET: Wood Street Encampment - July 2022, HOJA INFORMATIVA: Intervenciones para la gestin del campamento de Wood Street, FACT SHEET: East 12th Street Median Encampment - October 2022, Completed Encampment Management Team Operations Since 2021, Joint Statement regarding Homeless Services Performance Audit, Federal Judge Indicates Approval of City of Oaklands Thoughtful Outreach and Services Plan in Support of Caltrans Encampment Closure Operation on Wood Street. 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 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. (KRON4 News) OAKLAND ( KRON) - A two-alarm fire in an Oakland homeless . Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. 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. Review and respond annually to the City's 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. 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.". 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 controversial policy was approved by the City Council last year, but it's largely gone unenforced. 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. 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. 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. street outreach, homeless shelters, transitional housing, housing exits, and permanent supportive housing as needed. 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. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Caltrans workers clear a barricade made by Wood Street residents meant to keep Caltrans out of the encampment in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2022. Last year, 19 murders 18% of the citys total for the year occurred in encampments, according to the report. Their model is wrong, he said. The City has implemented a number of interventions at every step in the cycle. 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. Narcan spray and other sanitary products can be seen on a book shelf. Residents of the encampment said they know that Caltrans has long wanted to clear them out and plan to resist if the sweep happens. 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.". 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. A number of residents relocated to a two-acre parcel at 1707 Wood St. owned by Oakland. Warriors treating Andrew Wiggins with understandable patience, but his Gov. 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. 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). Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. 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. The Team provides sanitation services and regular trash pick up. What could reparations mean for Black residents of Alameda County? On Tuesday, homeless people in Echo Park were faced with a decision as an imminent city closure drew near. But those are things that are beyond what can be ordered in this case.". 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 shall publish an annual report regarding how and to what extent the City Council and Mayor have implemented this Chapter. Related Articles . On Monday, police said the man is facing charges for throwing an object at a vehicle. He concluded his decision with "I recognize that no party is happy with this order. And Caltrans officials said the vehicles would be too difficult to move. Housing | 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. 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. The city of Oakland pursued closures of 98 encampments during the two years we examined. Caltrans crews wait to clear the Wood Street encampment in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2022, while residents and advocates block the road. When the city has scheduled sweeps of the site, residents and homeless advocates have blocked workers from entering and removing belongings. Our Response Homelessness has doubled in the last 10 years. Complete clearing of total area without option to return, Partial clearing of an encamped area without option to return, Cleaning of an area with the option to return, May apply to a portion of or the total area, Regularly established garbage clearing and temporary sanitation. Caltrans says it's closing Oakland's Wood Street homeless encampment because of safety concerns. Both the city and the camps residents have different ideas for what the future should be for the land and the people who live there. We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. 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. 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.". Multiple fires have erupted at the city's largest homeless encampment, which. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Caltrans can begin evicting the estimated 200 people who live under an 880 overpass in West Oakland after Labor Day, a federal district judge ruled Friday. Weve created a system of effective strategies that address homelessness at every step in the cycle. 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 . The encampment is now so huge that some residents drive buses and motorcycles to get from one end to the other. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. He allowed Caltrans to continue removing debris from the area, as long as it didnt involve residents belongings. The city spent $12.6 million over the past two fiscal years, mostly unbudgeted, to manage the camps that have spread across city streets, sidewalks, parks and open spaces, according to a report released Wednesday by the city auditor. According to a report by the city administrative officer, the new East Hollywood campground costs approximately $2,663 per participant per month. She said some weeks she only had 25 open shelter beds out of nearly 600 in the system. Brigitte Nicoletti, an attorney assisting residents in their pro se lawsuit, reiterated that request at the hearing on Friday. A. The man, who was not identified, was taken into custody. 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. The encampment is. The city's lawyers had no comment on the ruling. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. Cars, RVs and debris burned Monday, sending a giant cloud of smoke into the sky, and freezing highway traffic in the vicinity. Despite the problems, Wood Street residents say they look out for each other and have formed a self-sufficient community, building homes using wood panels and doors among the abandoned railroad tracks. They said the city had not fulfilled promises made in connection with the prior lawsuit. The result is a shuffling with no long-term strategy on how to get people into more permanent, supportive housing. Newsom paid a surprise visit to the encampment in April to show the inhumane living conditions too many Californians face..