(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. Orange County Sheriff's Department. In a lawsuit filed this week, grassroots group Neighbors. But those plans were slow in coming. 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. Gavin Newsoms office publicly excoriated Oakland officials for failing to cooperate and threatened to withhold state funds. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? 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. I stretched the point up until now in order to try to get to some sort of a place that recognizes the humanity of the people who've been talking to me.. after a two-alarm fire broke out Monday at the site, decried the lack of access to clean water. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. Their model is wrong, he said. 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. 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. When you are dealing with homeless individuals or a homeless encampment, these types of crimes include: Trespassing Public intoxication Public urination You report that you've witnessed a crime to the police or sheriff. Husbands-Hankin said she saw an officer tase the man and tackle him to the ground. Under state law, working with homeless individuals to identify housing or shelter alternatives is a local, not a state, responsibility.. 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. But Orrick said requiring Caltrans to provide those resources was beyond the scope of the law. The plaintiffs and all living at the Wood Street encampment must make immediate plans to move.". Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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. 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. But the city didnt give the team the resources it needed including a budget, according to the audit. 1,000 people on a section of the former Oakland Army Base. The Commission shall review relevant financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the homeless services fund. OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Workers remove numerous items 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. Caltrans announced it is closing the entire Wood Street . Last year, 19 murders 18% of the citys total for the year occurred in encampments, according to the report. 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. 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. 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. "These are vehicles of human beings," he said at the hearing, "and they are not to be lost.". Homeless Encampment at 9418 Edes Ave Oakland, CA, 94603, USA: Im a community member and my street is getting full of RV and abandoned cars for many months now. 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. By City News Service on . 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. She started her journalism career reporting on crime and breaking news for The News-Press in Southwest Florida. Sign up for our daily newsletter. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! When could it return? 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. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? they paid around $400 a month in public assistance and charged. Plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond to an inquiry as to whether they would seek to appeal or otherwise challenge the determination. Skinny lives at 37MLK, the homeless encampment in Oakland, California, that was created by community organizers taking over a vacant lot. Newsom paid a surprise visit to the encampment in April to show the inhumane living conditions too many Californians face.. They declined to speak to reporters. Their. A. 550 North Flower Street. 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. Credit: Darwin BondGraham. 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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. She said shed never seen such a big escalation, referring to the tasing. Hayward couple file lawsuit over harrowing honeymoon ocean ordeal in Hawaii. 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. Antioch council to discuss new liquor stores ban, homeless housing. 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. While the city did open a RV safe parking site for 40 vehicles at Wood Street last summer, its struggled to house more residents. Where can we fit that? 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. Reporting an Issue If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. 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.. In May, Gov. $400 rent for the low income housing they made. 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. 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. Oakland firefighters responded to 90% of the 988 encampment calls they received in less than eight minutes. That case was assigned to Judge Orrick, who expressed concern about the short notice and lack of shelter options. As of last week, the city has offered shelter beds to about 70 people at the Wood Street encampment, according to the court filing. Partner with us by contributing resources or time to respond to the homelessness crisis. 211 West Temple Street. March 23, 2021 6:54 PM PT. 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. If you or someone you know is hungry, homeless, or housing insecure - Call 2-1-1. An officer will be dispatched to your location. We are in a catch-22., Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Homelessness has doubled in the last 10 years. 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. The transportation agency said in a release they will begin shutting down the entire encampment in phases beginning July 20 and will work with city officials and the county to place people in alternate shelter. In May, city officials put the total number of residents in the encampment at 300 people. We appreciate your patience; the homelessness@oaklandca.gov service has been restored. Oakland. The Encampment Management Team is responsible for implementing the Encampment Management Policy and directing coordination across city departments. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. Our Response Homelessness has doubled in the last 10 years. 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. Ruined vegetation, broken irrigation lines and damaged fencing at Lake Merritt, as well as. But the time for finger-pointing and disclaimers of responsibility is over. Contact information for four of the major Southern California sheriff's departments is: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, could I-80 closed across Donner Summit as snowstorm pummels Sierra, San Francisco citizens once traveled by gondola. James Wiseman, leadership genius? (KRON4 News) OAKLAND ( KRON) - A two-alarm fire in an Oakland homeless . Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. (213) 229-1700. 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. 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.