Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. 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. In an attempt to fend off the impending closure of the Commons, residents sued the city in early January. the city has scheduled sweeps of the site, cleared the parts of the encampment on its property. The only way to get through involves stepping over bulky items, bbq grills, bikes, tents, and garbage. Russell Wilson asked for Pete Carroll, Seahawks GM to be fired; QB denies report. The audit also analyzed the citys ability to respond when its unhoused communities need help. In July, a large fire damaged a portion of Interstate 880. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. 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. But the money is insufficient to help all the camps residents. 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. By City News Service on . Clutch, a 40-year-old resident, holds his neighbors dog, Panda, near his van at Oaklands Wood Street homeless encampment. Housing | 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. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. Photos: State clears Wood Street homeless camp, Oakland's largest This is our home.. But Orrick said requiring Caltrans to provide those resources was beyond the scope of the law. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. Cold Bay Area rains fail to shut down vibrant Holi celebration in Fremont. There are about 4,000 homeless people many of them living in at least 140 . Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. But that's only a fraction of the more than 5,000 encampments on . Its unclear whether residents will be open to moving to a city-sanctioned site. Caltrans couldnt immediately be reached for further comment. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. (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. Caltrans to close troubled homeless encampment in West Oakland LAPD union supports unarmed responders to certain 911 calls including Because the city had not budgeted for those expenses, staff had to divert resources away from other essential services including responding to illegal dumping, conducting fire inspections and maintaining traffic signals and street lights. City Administrator Ed Reiskin said city employees have worked hard to compassionately manage the surge in encampments, while acknowledging they havent always had clear policy direction or sufficient resources. 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. Its been a struggle just to stand up emergency shelters.. The streets of Oakland are already full of unhoused persons, many of whom were previously evicted from their encampments.". Caltrans OK to Clear Oakland's Largest Homeless Encampment, Federal 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 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. After Caltrans clears part of the encampment, residents move to another part sometimes city property. He currently plays for his neighbors outside his shelter, where a piano, guitar and drums are set up. 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. The Encampment Management Team is responsible for implementing the Encampment Management Policy and directing coordination across city departments. Oakland homeless advocates turn underpass encampment - New York Post 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 . Saratoga adopts review process to bypass costly fire restrictions, Raul Lozano helped communities grow in San Jose, Dear Abby: I love my wife but I think I better get divorced, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: She has gone too far with the remote work option, Bobcat seen using Highway 17 wildlife crossing hours after it opens, Authorities: Man bombed PG&E transformers in South San Jose, Dear Abby: I was always in the back seat, one way or another, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, William backed Harry and Meghan's eviction, prefers brother never 'set foot in England again', Map in Murdaugh murder case: 5 deaths and a mysterious shooting, Ask Amy: I didn't ask for what I wanted, and I'm sad they couldn't guess, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He says Caltrans has forced him to move several times. Jones and several residents presented their idea of a self-governed site to city staff and Fife at a meeting last summer. December 24, 2022, 9:57 AM SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge has temporarily banned San Francisco from clearing homeless encampments, saying the city violated its own policies by failing to offer other shelter. 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. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. 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 five-days' notice to clear the site. 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. Stanford University sues Santa Clara County to give tax relief to faculty homeowners, The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Palo Alto the week of Feb. 20, Filipino bakerys addictive sweet bread now available in Brentwood, Super sandwiches: 16 of the Bay Areas best sandos to try right now, Brawl forces end of NorCal high school basketball playoff game, Riordan-Inderkum playoff brawl: CIF hands down punishment after player taken to hospital, Popular East Bay taco truck at risk of being uprooted from spot it has occupied for 16 years, Please stop calling 911 about planets in the sky, sheriffs office in Modesto requests, After 40 years, Caspers Hot Dogs is closing in Walnut Creek, Tahoe really does not want you to drive up this weekend, Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released, Disneyland quietly removes controversial lyric from new parade soundtrack, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Echo Park Lake homeless encampment mulls decision to leave - Los (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. Residents of the encampment said they know that Caltrans has long wanted to clear them out and plan to resist if the sweep happens. Husbands-Hankin said she saw an officer tase the man and tackle him to the ground. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Housing | 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. Oakland was overwhelmed by the crisis, leaving staff working to solve the problem without proper training or resources, according to the report. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation A hand-painted sign can be seen at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland. OAKLAND Nearly a month after a federal court barred Oakland from clearing one of its most prominent homeless encampments, the judge in the case has determined the city has enough shelter beds for the displaced residents and can proceed with the removal. 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. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. 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. City of Oakland | Oakland's Response to Homelessness The city says it needs to clear the camp to make way for a 170-unit affordable housing project planned for the site. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. 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.. Under these circumstances, the judge found that the standards for the TRO were no longer met. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. Home used to be a tent at the 77th Street homeless encampment, where they had to fill two . 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. Oakland has a new homeless camp policy, despite protests - The Oaklandside Federal judge says San Francisco can't clear homeless camps Local News | Caltrans said it would shut down the entire encampment, clearing out about 200 people who live there. The encampment is one of the. Hayward couple file lawsuit over harrowing honeymoon ocean ordeal in Hawaii. Their. 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. The Encampment Management Team tracks all known encampments and prioritizes interventions based on health, safety, and size issues. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group). Caltrans reports it's on pace to close 1,200 encampments in this fiscal year up nearly 500% from the 269 cleared last year. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. 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. 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. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. 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. She graduated from American University with a BA degree in literature with a minor in journalism. 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. Californias stormy weather is having an unusual effect on S.F. 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. But Orrick told the agencies to work it out. Judge Prevents Caltrans From Clearing Oakland Homeless Encampment Oakland Unveils 100-Person Tiny-Home Village at Troubled Wood Street 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. Unhoused people in Oakland built an eco-oasis during the pandemic Multiple. The audit found the City was not adequately prepared to shoulder such a massive project and the (encampment management team) was overwhelmed by the undertaking of closing and cleaning encampments throughout Oakland, City Auditor Courtney Ruby wrote in an open letter to Mayor Libby Schaaf, the City Council and other city officials. Oakland to finally clear Wood Street homeless encampment Meter made: Simple device offers affordable access to water at Oakland 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. Home Depot pressures Oakland to remove homeless encampment after a two-alarm fire broke out Monday at the site, decried the lack of access to clean water. 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.. March 23, 2021 6:54 PM PT. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided Local News | 2 arrested as CHP, Caltrans begin clearing Wood Street encampment in 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. Caltrans to clear Oakland homeless encampment near MacArthur Maze A U.N. report from 2018 called the conditions there cruel and inhumane. 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. 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 encampment is one of the largest in the city and has been plagued with problems such as illegal dumping and fires for years. Raised eyebrows. Homeless Encampment - Issue #13733349 - Civic Center, Oakland, CA Now, they live on city property along Wood Streets right-of-way. Specifically, the audit found the City lacked an effective strategy for dealing with the growth in encampments and did not provide sufficient policy direction or adequate funding at the onset of this crisis, the letter continued. 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. This Oakland homeless encampment will be co-run by the residents themselves 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. Contact information for four of the major Southern California sheriff's departments is: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Pushing people with no real and adequate shelter to accommodate them is inhumane and does not solve the larger problem.. 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. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. In July, Caltrans alerted the residents they would have five days to pack their belongings and leave. 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 got three buses. Police said a person allegedly assaulted a public works employee and when officers tried to detain him, he refused and they used force. If its model is a success, Oakland could win more state funds to help more Wood Street residents. And Orrick agreed. We are ready to scale up for reductions in homelessness, though new state and federal funds and more intergovernmental coordination are needed.