A SoCal mom has blasted Berkeley officers over an enormous homeless encampment close to her son’s UC Berkeley housing unit — full of rows of tents, piles of trash and particles.
“I simply dropped my son off at @UCBerkeley housing and as we had been approaching we noticed this behind his flats. Disgrace on @CityofBerkeley @CityofAlbanyCA @UCBerkeleyNews,” TV reporter and mother Lyanne Melendez wrote on X.
Melendez shared video of the sprawling encampment alongside the 1150 block of Harrison Road, close to scholar housing and companies frequented by college students, lower than three miles from the college’s major campus.
The California Put up visited the realm Wednesday and noticed quite a few tents and makeshift shelters packed intently collectively close to a Tesla service facility, together with important quantities of belongings and particles surrounding the constructions.
Some areas appeared to have restricted house for pedestrians, whereas tarps, private belongings and different supplies had been unfold all through the encampment.
The scene comes as Berkeley faces mounting strain over its dealing with of homeless encampments, together with a long-running authorized battle over the camp on the intersection of Harrison St. and Eighth St.
A federal choose final week rejected an effort by homeless advocates to indefinitely delay the town’s plans to clear that camp, whereas ordering Berkeley to contemplate potential places the place some residents may relocate.
Beneath the choose’s newest order, homeless advocates should submit an inventory of proposed various campsites for 23 residents by Aug. 27, which Berkeley officers should then evaluation and both approve or reject.
The order doesn’t require the town to just accept any of the proposed websites, nevertheless, and the choose rejected advocates’ request to considerably delay the deliberate closure, signaling that the camp may nonetheless be cleared quickly.
The town has cited sanitation, hearth and public well being considerations in its efforts to shut the Eighth and Harrison encampment. Officers have additionally raised considerations about rats and an outbreak of leptospirosis linked to the infestation there.
The choose mentioned he expects that encampment to be cleared “briefly order,” though the town should proceed working with some residents on incapacity lodging and property storage.
The Metropolis Council has additionally confronted criticism over cuts to well being division positions and vacant police positions as the town continues to take care of homelessness.
The California Put up has reached out to members of the Berkeley Metropolis Council, together with Councilwoman Cecilia Lunaparra, and the mayor’s workplace for remark.
I’m pleased with Berkeley’s standing as the town that has helped extra folks transfer into momentary shelter and everlasting supportive housing than another municipality in northern Alameda County,” Lunaparra informed The Put up.
“We will at all times do extra on homelessness, which is why we’re wanting ahead to the County of Alameda unlocking extra of the tons of of hundreds of thousands of Measure W {dollars} which might be at the moment sitting there ready to be spent on tasks that can assist carry extra of our neighbors indoors with the providers and sources they should thrive,” she continued.
The Berkeley Police Division declined to remark and referred inquiries to the town. UC Berkeley likewise referred inquiries to the town. The Put up has additionally reached out to Melendez and the Alameda Metropolis Council for additional remark.
