Berkeley starts clearing homeless camp after deadly leptospirosis outbreak linked to rats
Berkeley starts clearing homeless camp after deadly leptospirosis outbreak
The city of Berkeley began clearing a large homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets Tuesday morning. Jana Katsuyama reports.
BERKELEY, Calif. - The city of Berkeley on Tuesday began clearing a large homeless encampment after officials declared the area a fire hazard and public nuisance following a deadly leptospirosis outbreak linked to rats.
Notices posted on Friday informed residents that their tents, structures and other property at 8th and Harrison streets must be removed, and everyone living at the site must leave.
Early Tuesday morning, police stepped in, telling residents to remove their items, which were scattered across the street. Excavators began tearing apart structures and tents, and dumping all the scattered belongings into a dump truck.
Legal battle halts initial cleanup plans
What we know:
Rats with disease have been found at the Berkeley homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets.
This encampment, which has been active for about a decade, has been at the center of a long legal battle. The city previously tried to clean up the area, but the Berkeley Homeless Union filed a lawsuit last year that put those plans on hold.
A federal judge is now allowing the city to clear the encampment, though the ruling requires the city to provide special accommodations to disabled residents living at the site. These accommodations include helping disabled individuals move and providing storage for their belongings.
Seven people have been approved for those special accommodations. The Berkeley Homeless Union president, Yesica Prado, said she submitted requests for 19 more people the day before the sweep started.
She said even for just the seven disabled people approved for special accommodations, she believes the city is not following the court order.
"They have the right to get replacement gear. So the city is destroying their tent right now, their sleeping, their bedding. The city is supposed to replace them. But as you see, they’re not passing out tents, they’re just destroying them," said Prado.
Berkeley encampment residents in limbo
Local perspective:
Elester Shelton lives in one of the tents in the path of the cleaning crews.
He said he's struggled to get permanent housing after losing his apartment last year.
"I get $340 a month. I only get GA, that's not hardly no money, so I have to be mindful in the things that I buy," Shelton said. "I'd be thankful for a cot. I'd be thankful for any type of roof over my head."
Shelton said he was evicted from his Hayward apartment, which landed him on the street.
"I lost my housing a year and a half ago," Shelton said.
He's not sure where he's going to go now that the encampment is being cleared.
"I really don't know where I'm going to go to next, unfortunately. I'm kind of in limbo," Shelton said.
Berkeley clearing homeless camp after deadly leptospirosis outbreak linked to rats
The City of Berkeley on Tuesday said it will clear a large homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets after officials declared the area a fire hazard and public nuisance following a a deadly leptospirosis outbreak linked to rats.
Rats and disease
Big picture view:
The fire marshal has declared the encampment a fire hazard and a public nuisance. City officials say they need to demolish structures at the site and carry out rodent abatement.
The site was previously impacted by a leptospirosis outbreak that began last year, circulating among dogs and rats. The bacterial infection spread to at least two humans this summer, resulting in one death and one hospitalization. These marked the first known human cases of leptospirosis in the city in over a decade.
Dozens of rats remain visible at the site.
Aerial view of Berkeley homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets.
What homeless advocates are saying
What they're saying:
"If the city really cared, they would honestly provide these people with assistance and not just bully them out. This is horrific for the city to do," said Malia Goulart, who has lived at the encampment for three weeks.
She cried as she expressed frustration at the situation.
"I’ve come to know some of these people and these people don’t deserve it. What the city doesn’t realize is it could happen to them just as easy. They could be the ones one paycheck away from being in this situation. They’re treating us like we’re criminals and we’re not. We’ve just had unfortunate events occur. One leads to another and leads to another, and leads to this," said Goulart.
Prado said she has tried to help encampment residents find housing and failed.
"I’ve been brainstorming with them and driving around the whole city trying to find places for them to relocate. And I can tell you right now, very few people know where they can go next," said Prado. "A lot of them are planning to stay on the sidewalk until the city leaves and try to re-camp again because they have no idea where they can go."
What Berkeley officials are saying
The other side:
Individuals residing in vehicles will be permitted to stay in their cars, but any property located outside the vehicles can be removed and stored by the city.
According to the posted notices, anyone who refuses to leave the site may receive a citation or face arrest.
Berkeley's assistant to the city manager said he is concerned about the encampment residents, but said the clearing of the encampment is part of a multistep process.
"I understand completely, as does the city, that folks need somewhere to go," Peter Radu said. "We will continue to work with them, but literally anywhere is better for them than here, so this is a multistep process."
Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii's office shared a statement with KTVU, saying in part:
"Clearing an encampment is not, by itself, a solution. It doesn't end anyone's homelessness," the statement said. "It just changes where the immediate problem of homelessness is visible. Our real goal, and the only thing that actually solves this, is getting people into long-term, stable housing. I remain committed to that work."
The Source: Information for this story comes from visual evidence, the city of Berkeley, the fire marshal and the Berkeley Homeless Union, plus interviews with encampment residents.