A judge on Friday will decide whether Caltrans can go ahead with the closure of what has been a dangerous homeless camp on Caltrans property off Wood Street in Oakland.
Judge William Orrick will decide whether to uphold a temporary restraining order preventing Caltrans from closing the camp until a decision can be made on a preliminary injunction.
Caltrans estimates nearly 200 people reside at the camp, where about 100 fires have occurred between West Grand Avenue and 34th Street, according to the Oakland Fire Department. One person died in a fire in April.
“Wood Street could be considered the largest (encampment) area in Oakland with a concentration of encampments,” city of Oakland spokesperson Karen Boyd said by email.
“There are a number of encampments along a large swath of land owned primarily by Caltrans but also by railroads, private entities and the City of Oakland,” Boyd said.
Caltrans posted notices at the camp on July 15 and planned to start clearing it Wednesday. Orrick granted the temporary restraining order on Tuesday.
Caltrans officials said they have a responsibility to maintain the safety of travelers and protect the state’s highway infrastructure.
Earlier this month plumes of smoke from a fire at the camp shut down the interstate highway above.
Caltrans said it wants to close the camp because of the “increasingly serious safety risks.”
The agency said it is coordinating with Alameda County and the city of Oakland to house the camp residents. A spokesperson for Caltrans did not immediately say what the agency’s plans are for helping the camp’s residents get shelter if on Friday Orrick allows Caltrans to move ahead.
Oakland has received a state grant of $4.7 million and will build 50 shelter units, giving Wood Street residents priority for the units.
Boyd said “subject to full funding” the city will build 50 more units for a total of 100.
Oakland had 1,528 shelter beds in a variety of categories as of January. But “the City’s shelter beds are generally full,” Boyd said. Oakland will not be able to accommodate everyone living at Wood Street, Boyd said.
This is an outrage. Where is the compassion for people living in this filth and squalor? What if people gathered together and put up temporary SAFE and CLEAN housing? I’ve worked on projects to help homeless – and they are like you and me. These are human beings. Those on drugs need TREATMENT and CARE. In a community this wealthy, there is absolutely no reason for this. 1 media mogal or banking executive could sacrifice that 5th yacht, or 4th vacation house and solve this problem overnight.
You have a back yard or a room in your house or apartmen,twhen you take in 8 or 9,let us know,if you survive it.Then what you say will mean something,not just getting on the”that’s wrong’ bandwagon from bring so empty,and needing a cause to champion.They burn down everything they live in or on.Be my guest now.
typo-“Being so empty”
The majority of homeless are lazy and do not want to work. I have lived among them, most are not trying to get back on their feet, they are taking advantage of all the free stuff
If he’s a liberal judge, as most all of them are, he will give the homeless rights over everyone else! You better watch out, he might dictate that you house homeless in your own backyard. or Inside your home! Regular citizens have no rights.
And d most homeless are able bodies strong men who will not get off their drugs. When offered housing they refuse. Trust me I’ve helped them for many years as getting all the worse with their laziness and refusal for help or refusal to work. I think we’re enabling them at this point
The problem is no one wants to make TREATMENT and CARE mandatory, as in you either get help and/or housed, or you go to jail.
I agree homeless folks are human beings and deserve a better life, but asking or encouraging them in that direction is pointless. Enabling a life of addiction, filth, squalor, is not compassion, nor is it fair, sanitary, or safe for the housed and employed to live amidst those conditions. Homeless people need to be forced to get help or suffer the consequences. This is the only compassionate and equitable solution for the whole community.
Yet we will NEVER see this happen due to bleeding heart liberals.
@clambake
@james
@POd
They used to have drug courts (Prop 36, passed in 2000) that would place people in treatment (outpatient/inpatient) versus jail time it was very successful. Then the stupid democratic voters voted for Prop 47 in 2014 which pretty much decriminalized drug use and reduced certain felonies to misdemeanors and thus we have a homeless (drug addict) explosion. Then they voted for George Soros sponsored DAs such as Becton who is against enforcing laws. Now they throw Monday the problem like Newsome buying hotels to house the homelesss drug addicts.
Since Lyndon Baines Johnson declared war on poverty in 1964 the US has spent an estimated $15 trillion (15,000,000,000,000) on welfare. California spends approximately $35 billion (35,000,000,000) on welfare annually.
The difference between the poverty rate in 1964 and 2022 is statistically insignificant. Once could argue the safety net prevented higher poverty but it most assuredly did not lower poverty in any significant way.
There needs to be paradigm shift about our assumptions and solutions to poverty. Taking from one to give to another is obviously not the answer or there would be no poverty right now would there?
Lazy parasites living off the taxpayer labor. They are creating a dangerous, diseased problem for the city. As a 30 year paramedic, we won’t even go in there with law enforcement. Get them out NOW!!!!
@ Clam Bake
When you are the business owner or property owner and you allow this type of invasion, you are opening yourself up to all sorts of things.
Property Damage
Property Loss
Lawsuits
Theft
Fire
Hazardous Waste
and so on.
Let me know when you allow this on your personal property and how that is going. Until them, you need to shut your trap!
So Caltrans needs permission to remove trespassers from their property …. That is batcrap crazy.
It is NOT Caltrans responsibility to house them … get these people off the property. It is not the private land owners or the railroads either …. Stupidity is running rampant!
If you feel so compelled to help these folks, open your yard, your house and feed/clothe them.
+1
Give them a one-way ticket to Portland.
Newsom’s and Pelosi’s house, Wash DC, & Haiti to get a real taste of what it’s like
Wheel out the big spotlight and turn on the newsom signal.
It’s been awhile since we’ve had to endure a shallow photo OP press conference by from the combed back oil spill haired, willy’s wonder.
Clambake-
If all it took was money to solve a homeless problem?Thye thrown blillions at it ,and they dont want help or to follow rules,they just want to party.So very rare to find a down on their luck,suddenly unemployed and lost thier home,sober willling to work person ,but doesnt have a sole to help them person.Those people are sane and can use govt programs,mothers,etc,.
Treatment and care?.You can’t force them,and they don’t want it.
To say a weathy preson could just come along and solve this is something you are truly clueless about.
Giving money to people with signs keeps then on the street with a sign.Don;t feed the wildlife.They may get dependent and not be able to take care of themselves anymore.Thye dont buy food with any money they have.When they are hungry they go to Safeway,get the food they want and walk out the door,and nobody stops .
“Treatment and care?.You can’t force them,and they don’t want it.”
A truer statement then anyone else has put forth. They run and hide from anything resembling structure and would rather live in squalor.
@james
@POd
They used to have drug courts (Prop 36, passed in 2000) that would place people in treatment (outpatient/inpatient) versus jail time it was very successful. Then the stupid democratic voters voted for Prop 47 in 2014 which pretty much decriminalized drug use and reduced certain felonies to misdemeanors and thus we have a homeless (drug addict) explosion. Then they voted for George Soros sponsored DAs such as Becton who is against enforcing laws. Now they throw Monday the problem like Newsome buying hotels to house the homelesss drug addicts.
The Judge should not allow clearance until they have a place to put all these hapless people. The druggies put in warehouse with their monsters. The mentally ill put in treatment centers that can give them medications.
So do you have a place to put them?
Clambake and”America” are you guy s related or roomates?
When will you kid learn that money cant solve everything.and untill you get some to contribute,quit trying to spend other peoples money.
Theres been billionaires and homeless blokcs from each other for decades.Money never help,its a bandaid,till they wreck their cam and get told to leave,
The facts and truth dont make the person telling it to you”the problem’
Its called confusing the message with the messager,as you kids do.
Go volunteer in a food bank,or maybe shut up.
Typo-
“Blocks from each other”
“wreck their camp”
One more reminder that California is becoming one of the “Abandoned Zones” Robert Heinlein created in his Science Fiction novels. Spray the place down with Narcan and some strong SSRI and call it a cleanup.
Newsum invited all the homeless to come here – send them to his house
Oakland judge, good luck Caltrans.
I work in Oakland and the homeless jerks dump their human waste on the side of the building right where we park our cars. Very Gross I also had a gun pulled on me last year by a homeless guy. I have no compassion for these dangerous animal they have completely ruined Oakland.
Public embarrassment and ridicule, two of greatest motivators of politicians.
Wood Street encampment is not a new happening,
4 years ago https://tinyurl.com/3v7em3be
3 years ago https://tinyurl.com/2abrrz5v
3 months ago https://tinyurl.com/448tx7wn
MANY fires resulted in little action, not until freeway traffic was effected and media covered problem.
Incompetent DEM governance.
“Concentration of encampments”
Kick them out, and move on. Ridiculous there’s this much red tape!
WHY does a Judge need to get involved? Maybe AFTER you arrest them for any crimes related to “camping”, trespassing, etc.. Seriously find out if they own the things they have or if they’re stolen. I’m sure you can find drug paraphernalia. PS. don’t arrest people who are homeless but not committing crimes such as those above. Being homeless does not mean you go on someone else property illegally. Usually you can find shopping carts, find enough and you an turn it into a Felony. Because we know they didn’t buy them.
Orick is a Federal judge; this is a local matter. He should never have become involved. And when is Concord going to root out the camp adjacent to the BART station? One has to believe nothing good is happening there, and probably a lot of negative behaviors: thefts and drug use certainly; maybe fights and other physical abuse.
Orrick is a brand of vacuum cleaner. Loud and annoying when they’re turmed on. At best, they suck.
You can’t kick them out so they go screw up some other place. These people are not homeless they are drug addicted vagrants. Calling them homeless is a way to change the public’s attitude toward them. The mentally ill amongst them need to go into a home for the mentally ill and the drug addicts have to be put into forced rehab. A long time back we abandoned taking care of riff raff. Spend the money to do the job properly or put up with filthy homeless camps and people taking drugs and sleeping on the sidewalk.
Ummm…why exactly is the authorization of some judge required for CalTrans to remove squatters and vagrants (who are there illegally to begin with) from state-owned land?
Homelessness has become a business for most big cities. Look at San Francisco and how much they spend each year and look at how much its grown. Now look at how much the problem has grown in SF. If you give people free stuff guess what they will go there!
Take away their illegal drugs.. They do not have permission to be doing illegal drugs on public property. Start a special task force. Because we love to spend money on special task forces.
Reminds me of the street guy I saw on TV. He said he was not going to change because if he had a job he could not make as much money as San Francisco currently gives him.
I work for a public agency that was tasked with cleaning out a large encampment in Concord in the mid 90’s. We posted well in advance and the city of Concord arranged for a truck to transport their belongings, and a bus to transport them, to a shelter with beds, counseling and employment services. All of the “residents” looked to be in their late 20’s/early 30’s and seemingly able bodied. Not one of them wanted to take advantage of this and would prefer to live in squalor surrounded by piles of human waste.
Any sympathy I had vanished right there.