Chico says camp cleanup had been planned, expedited by police arrest

San Francisco CA

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Clean up of homeless encampment raises questions True North Housing Alliance announces motel shelter program TRANSCRIPT: Warren v. Chico preliminary injunction “We’re not asking for anything,” he said. “All we ask is for people to be respectful and patient.” He and his partner will likely be staying on property near the Chico Airport, even though they were once told by park rangers to leave. Tabatha Hall, who also is waiting on funds from the Fire Victim Trust after being displaced in the Camp Fire, said she thinks she will have to live on the outskirts of the city to avoid citation. She said she has already been removed from a Torres Shelter motel after three days and has been moved many times around the city by Chico police, including from the “triangle” at Pine and Cypress streets and from a site at Boucher Street. “They don’t want us as their problem anymore,” Hall said. Cummings said the agency had contacted Butte County nearly two weeks prior to this operation and when notices were given, campers were also given a list of nearby resources and organizations. According to True North Housing Alliance Executive Director Joy Amaro, a current estimate from Torres Shelter of having 40 open beds with no current waiting list is accurate. “The number of open beds changes daily with people coming and going, but on average that is accurate,” Amaro said Tuesday. This marks another in a series of operations in Chico moving campers from public spaces since January. Campers at another park area, Humboldt Park, were given notice Monday morning to leave the area by Thursday morning. J. Bernays J. Bernays 0 seconds ago Now the people who fled their burning homes have evacuated to nearby cities like Chico. Officials say they don’t know for certain how many people are currently uprooted, as some have sheltered with relatives, some were able to return home, others are staying in shelters, while others still are living in makeshift refugee camps. However, they estimate that upward of 52,000 people were evacuated in response to the Camp Fire. e. Jesse Stonebrink said after losing his home in Paradise in the Camp Fire and subsequently moving at least nine times around the city, he has also lost his job as of Tuesday due to needing time off to move his belongings. He said and his partner have been moved nearly each week in the last several months. Stonebrink said they also own two dogs, including an American bulldog which he said has made it difficult to find an apartment which will accept large dogs. He said they would not risk surrendering the dog in order to stay at the Torres Shelter, and they do not want to risk staying inside the congregate shelter during the pandemic anyway. If they camp outside, “Cops do take our stuff, even with our name on it,” he said. “We were so afraid because the last time they threw everything we owned away.” Stonebrink added they have yet to get aid after the fire due to issues with their old address and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and said he wishes people would offer assistance instead of reporting people seen around the city who have no home.