Oakland, together we can meet this crisis, expand our progress, and reduce homelessness in our community. Now is the big showdown, said Theo Cedar Jones, a resident at Wood Street for nearly two years. 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? The Encampment Management Team tracks all known encampments and prioritizes interventions based on health, safety, and size issues. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. While the city did open a RV safe parking site for 40 vehicles at Wood Street last summer, its struggled to house more residents. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. 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. Pushing people with no real and adequate shelter to accommodate them is inhumane and does not solve the larger problem.. A spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said the department is investigating a use-of-force incident on Thursday just after 2:45 p.m. in the area of West Grand Avenue and Wood Street. 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. (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. 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 only way to get through involves stepping over bulky items, bbq grills, bikes, tents, and garbage. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group). The Team provides sanitation services and regular trash pick up. 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. To report an encampment online, please scan the QR code below to access the Reporting Tool page: Or go to the Reporting Tool website: https://reportencampments.tucsonaz.gov/ To report an encampment by phone, please call the City of Tucson Resource Line: (520) 791-2540 Initiation of Protocol The city also spent money on contracts, legal costs, towing abandoned cars and police and fire responses to encampment emergencies. July 11, 2022 Updated 3:24 PM PT. Bay, Heres where California reservoir levels stand after recent rainfall, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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. Audit: Oaklands $12.6 million homelessness, 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), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, Audit: Oaklands $12.6 million homelessness response lacked strategy, direction, 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, After nearly two-month delay, judge allows Oakland to remove large homeless camp. they paid around $400 a month in public assistance and charged. In July the city began clearing an area between West Grand and 26th Street in Oakland in preparation for a shelter at the site, which would house approximately 50 people. July 11, 2022 / 6:27 PM / CBS San Francisco. 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 judge quickly sided with the homeless residents, and issued a temporary order barring the city from clearing the camp at least until the city could prove it had enough shelter beds for everyone displaced. OAKLAND -- The biggest homeless encampment in Oakland will soon be shut down. Homelessness has doubled in the last 10 years. Over the next several weeks, the Caltrans site was cleaned and cleared and the residents moved to other locations and situations. City lawyers had no comment on the ruling. 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 . Attorneys for Caltrans said the encampment posed a serious health and safety risk, citing some 200 fires at the Wood Street encampment over the past two years. When the City decides to close an encampment, the Team makes every effort to relocate encampment dwellers to emergency shelters or community cabins. Its been a struggle just to stand up emergency shelters.. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. people had to eat at charity style centers, and a sunday 'picnic in the park' feed. 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. A show made by people behind bars in California prisons. Caltrans said it would shut down the entire encampment, clearing out about 200 people who live there. 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. I do not look forward to being kicked out. They declined to speak to reporters. Reporting an Issue If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The decision from Judge William Orrick comes after a month-long legal battle between residents and the transit agency, the city, and the county. As of last week, the city has offered shelter beds to about 70 people at the Wood Street encampment, according to the court filing. The report lays out 26 recommendations, all of which the city has committed to following, according to the auditors office. by Natalie Orenstein March 25, 2021. But Orrick said requiring Caltrans to provide those resources was beyond the scope of the law. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided In a lawsuit filed this week, grassroots group Neighbors. Antioch council to discuss new liquor stores ban, homeless 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. Its unclear if the transportation agency meant the entire Wood Street encampment or only the part located on land it owns. Housing | The City's Public Works crews visit dozens of known encampments throughout the city on a weekly basis to conduct trash removal and garbage cart, porta potty and hand wash station servicing. Aric Crabb has been a staff photographer at the Bay Area News Group since 1998. 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 Citys suggestion that it has no responsibility for homeless individuals on state property unless there is a specific earmark is simply unacceptable, Patterson wrote. The fire at the Wood Street encampment is sending a plume of smoke over the San Francisco Bay and downtown Oakland. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! An attorney for the city said it doesn't have enough safe parking sites for everyone to bring their vehicles there. 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. Report the issue to our encampment management team at homelessness@oaklandca.gov. The city estimates there are at least 140 encampments scattered throughout Oakland. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. The man was bleeding and was very confused asking police what he had done wrong. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. (KRON4 News) OAKLAND ( KRON) - A two-alarm fire in an Oakland homeless . The streets of Oakland are already full of unhoused persons, many of whom were previously evicted from their encampments.". 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 Commission shall review relevant financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the homeless services fund. Oakland is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. We got three buses. We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. 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. In July, Caltrans alerted the residents they would have five days to pack their belongings and leave. The money would fund a new community cabin site or tiny home village at Wood Street for about 50 people. Residents of the encampment said they know that Caltrans has long wanted to clear them out and plan to resist if the sweep happens. They did not respond to questions as to what the object was. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. 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.". You will be asked to sign off on an arrest warrant. Official Website for the City of Oakland | Mayor Sheng Thao. 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.". He allowed Caltrans to continue removing debris from the area, as long as it didnt involve residents belongings. 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. 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. 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. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. He says Caltrans has forced him to move several times. 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. 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. 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. Caltrans has completed much smaller sweeps in the past. 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 spokesperson said officers were at the scene to assist the citys public works department with an intervention and closure of a small part of the encampment. Some people keep watch out for fires or other dangers. Orange County Sheriff's Department. 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. 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. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. The city doesnt have the resources to close something as large as Wood Street, said LaTonda Simmons, the citys former interim homelessness administrator. Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oaklands most vulnerable. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. Marisa Kendall is a housing reporter for the Bay Area News Group who covers homelessness for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. 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 . Last year, 19 murders 18% of the citys total for the year occurred in encampments, according to the report. 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. The city of Oakland pursued closures of 98 encampments during the two years we examined. February 22, 2023. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation 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. Driven by a housing crisis and continuing economic inequality that hits Oakland's most vulnerable. 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. 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 . The controversial policy was approved by the City Council last year, but it's largely gone unenforced. Los Angeles, California 90012. Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation 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 . Local News | That injunction was dissolved in phases, beginning in August of 2022, giving residents more time to find other alternatives. Earlier this month, Gov. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. Diesel is expensive. 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. We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. 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. The Encampment Management Policy seeks to address the adverse health and safety impacts of unsheltered homelessness, with compassion and care to not criminalize poverty. We are ready to scale up for reductions in homelessness, though new state and federal funds and more intergovernmental coordination are needed. But the injunction was dissolved in phases, beginning in August of 2022, giving residents more time to find other alternatives. Thursday evening, representatives from the city of Oakland submitted a plan for a phased closure of the site, beginning at its northernmost edge, where a fire on July 11 sent plumes of black smoke onto the 880 overpass. We are in a catch-22., Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. 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. 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. 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. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. Hall of Justice. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. Housing | The encampment is one of the largest in the city and has been plagued with problems such as illegal dumping and fires for years. (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. By City News Service on . A surprise sweep of a newly formed homeless encampment on state property has forced some unhoused West Oakland residents to move - yet again. That speaks to the demand and the concentration of homelessness, she added. Caltrans plans to clear 200 homeless people from the sprawling site by the first week of August, officials said. 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). 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. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). And Caltrans officials said the vehicles would be too difficult to move. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. A. Sep 2022 Q. 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. Among its recommendations, the audit found the city should ensure staff members are trained in crisis management and interacting with traumatized encampment residents. Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. 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. 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 is experiencing a network outage that is affecting key services such as Oak311, permitting and business tax. Housing | Over the past seven years, Oaklands Wood Street encampment has exploded in size. But Orrick told the agencies to work it out. 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. Now, they live on city property along Wood Streets right-of-way. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided 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. Jones and several residents presented their idea of a self-governed site to city staff and Fife at a meeting last summer. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. 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. 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. For now, it appears that camp residents will have at least another long weekend at the park before the standoff continues. Our Response Homelessness has doubled in the last 10 years. 1,000 people on a section of the former Oakland Army Base. Stuffed animals are seen on a couch at the Wood Street encampment on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Oakland, California. LAPD union supports unarmed responders to certain 911 calls including homeless encampment clean-ups 0. Local News | (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. Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. 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. The Oakland Fire . 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. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. NO Share; Designate high-sensitivity areas, where unmanaged encampments are presumed to cause unreasonably high levels of health and safety impacts due to the nature of the location; Designate low-sensitivity areas, where enforcement will not be prioritized. Bay Bridge light display will go dark after a decade Sunday. Neighbors tell Da Lin the looming closure is long overdue. We do need permanent supportive housing and where is it? Fife said the site which could offer pallet shelters, a community kitchen, bathrooms and wraparound services could house many of Wood Streets residents. 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. He currently plays for his neighbors outside his shelter, where a piano, guitar and drums are set up. 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.