California Gov. Gavin Newsom urges closure of Easy Bay homeless camp

Even though residents of a homeless encampment located on the Berkeley-Emeryville border are petitioning a judge for more time to find housing before Caltrans is allowed to clear the area, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that time is up.

Federal court orders have prevented Caltrans from removing the encampment of about a dozen people for the past nine months.

The most recent order is set to expire next week, meaning Caltrans would be allowed to clear the encampment situated beside the Interstate 80 offramp by Shellmound Street and Ashby Avenue, but the camps’ occupants have put forth a motion asking the court for a four-month extension to the order.

But Newsom has recently made getting rid of California’s extensive homeless camps a priority, so he has positioned himself against the plaintiffs in the case.

On Thursday, the governor made a statement against the case. “Allowing individuals to live in encampments alongside our highways is not only hazardous but inhumane,” he wrote. “This litigation has significantly slowed our progress in Berkeley by preventing Caltrans from delivering on important efforts aimed at revitalizing California’s streets and public spaces through litter abatement and local beautification projects.”

The case is set for a federal court hearing next week. A group of lawyers and activists working with the plaintiffs say they are working towards moving everyone from the camp and into housing, but they need more time to do so.

In addition to all the requirements to apply for housing, lead advocate and president of Where Do We Go Berkeley Ian Cordova Morales added that temporary shelter options in the area are few and far between.

“Everybody wants housing. It’s not like they want to stay in that place,” he said. “We want them out of there too. But we can’t do it overnight unless the governor, the county and the city get together and give us a little bit of help.”