Concord homeless encampment packs up to meet deadline, has nowhere to go

CONCORD, Calif. - Tuesday was moving day for some unsheltered people living in about 25 tents in a field under BART tracks, along San Miguel Road in Concord.

Authorities notified them last week they need to be gone by Wednesday.

Neighbors across the street have registered hundreds of complaints with the police.

"One time I got home and they were messing with my water. So they are going to properties," said Barry Olaguer, who lives across the street from the encampment.

"We saw evidence of fires at almost every encampment. We saw drug use, evidence of illegal drug use. Heroin. That sort of thing. In the gutter," said Concord Police Lt. Tamra Roberts.

The property belongs to BART. The city maintains it. But dismantling the camp, that's the easy part. Where are the people going to go?

"That's a great question the whole country is dealing with," said Roberts. "The shelters are full. We can't refer them to a shelter. I wish that we could."

Residents of this year-old camp tell us they'll move to another one.

"I'm just going to relocate over there somewhere," said Rico Herrera.

The homeless here have advocates who have been feeding them and trying to help them move.

"The folks are going to run from one spot to another. Until there are policies and funding to help them," said Ady Olvera of Concord Communities Alliance.

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Concord does have outreach teams and case managers who try to connect homeless people with services. But currently, even waiting lists are full.

"We understand they don't have a lot of options or a place to go. We know they are going to end up in other areas of our city," says Roberts.