Laws around homeless encampments
We live near a park which has been a nice spot for neighbors coming together -- kids playing little league, a tot playlot, etc. In the past year or so there have been an increasing number of RVs parked alongside the park, and now we have 2 encampments with tons of trash, and adults visibly drunk at the park during daytime hours. Having grown up poor myself and on the verge of homelessness in my teens, I am sympathetic to the unhoused, but having encampments near parks where kids play is not good. I've tried to talk with some of the unhoused folx and been verbally harassed in return. I've contacted my councilmember but nothing is happening. People say "oh, it's just California law that allows this" -- but why is it this would never happen in a place like Piedmont or Lafayette, but happens routinely in Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito, etc? Does anyone know what the laws are, and why this is impossible to address in some communities but not others?
Parent Replies
Here are some numbers to call - 311 during the day up until 4PM and the non-emergency police number after 10PM. I've also called the Mayor's office, but not sure that helps but I'm hopeful that a squeaky wheel gets greased.
Great question... I am a proud Oakland resident and I frequently walk around our neighborhood and other neighborhoods with my young daughter. We often encounter homeless people and no one has ever bothered us -- until recently when a homeless man's very aggressive dog chased me and my daughter (in a stroller) for a couple terrifying minutes near Lake Merritt. I am more cautious/concerned now, because even if the homeless people don't mean us any harm, their pets may not feel the same.