The new storage program is slated to be set up at the Veteran’s Building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons The new storage program is slated to be set up at the Veteran’s Building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons An innovative program to offer secure storage containers for the possessions of Berkeley’s homeless could cost nearly $350,000 a year in staffing, along with […]
Liberty City
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: A night in Berkeley’s Liberty City
I wanted to camp at least once at Liberty City when I learned how it had formed, partly because I wanted to see what was really up, and partly because I wanted to meet the participants I had heard so much about, and partly because I had been hidden homeless two years, myself, and the […]
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley homeless encampment at Old City Hall packs up under city orders
Liberty camp on Friday, Dec. 4. Photo Jay Rooney Update: Three arrests were made while the encampment was packing up, according to Berkeley city spokesman Matthai Chakko. Chakko said he expected all three to be cited and released today. Three truck-loads of belongings associated with the camp were removed by the city, he said, and […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime, Crime & Safety
Police make arrest after homeless camp stabbing
Residents of a homeless encampment remain on the grounds of Old City Hall in what they say is a protest of new laws passed this week by the City Council. Photo: David Yee Berkeley police responded to a stabbing at the recently established Old City Hall homeless encampment and arrested a man late Thursday morning. According […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley council enacts street behavior regulations
Protesters fighting new ordinances related to street behavior marched to Tuesday night’s council meeting and rallied. Photo: Ted Friedman Protesters fighting new ordinances related to street behavior marched to Tuesday night’s council meeting and rallied. Photo: Ted Friedman Tuesday night’s council meeting ended abruptly with a split vote to adopt new laws proponents say will […]
Posted inCity, Crime & Safety, Housing & Development
The lowdown: Berkeley council on affordable housing, PRC protest report, homeless services, protest march
Tuesday’s council meeting will take place at Longfellow Middle School. Photo: Emilie Raguso Tuesday’s council meeting will take place at Longfellow Middle School. Photo: Emilie Raguso At its Dec. 1 meeting, the Berkeley City Council is set to kick off with a special 5:30 p.m. session on affordable housing, followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. The […]
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley orders new homeless tent city to disband
About 50 people have set up tents on the front lawn of Old City Hall to protest news homeless laws passed by the Berkeley City Council last week. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel The city of Berkeley issued a cease and desist order Tuesday to residents of an encampment that popped up at Old City Hall on […]
Posted inCity, Crime & Safety, Opinion
Op-ed: An open letter to Berkeley on homelessness: You are being scammed by the City Council
Do storage lockers magically appear on Tom Bates’ order? Do angels from on high descend with public restrooms on Linda Maio’s wish? Is it common for shower facilities to construct themselves from piping and tile without human intervention? If you answered “yes” to these questions then you’ve entered the mindset of the Berkeley City Council […]
Posted inCrime & Safety, Opinion
Op-ed: Being poor is not a crime
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates was quoted on Channel 7 News as saying, “It’s not an effort to criminalize people, it’s an effort to try to make things more civil.” Yet the new homeless ordinance that passed 6-3 early Wednesday – nearly one week before Thanksgiving Day – does in fact criminalize the homeless and poor […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley imposes new laws on homeless behavior
At 10:30 pm on Tuesday, dozens of people were still lined up to address council about proposed street behavior laws. The meeting had begun at 7 p.m. Testimony went on until around midnight and council adjourned at 12:40 a.m. Wednesday. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel At 10:30 pm on Tuesday, dozens of people were still lined up to […]
Posted inCrime & Safety, Opinion
Op-ed: New homeless proposal accelerates ethnic and social cleansing
It is zero hour for the defense of the right of homeless people in Berkeley to simply be. This Tuesday, Mayor Bates and Council members Maio, Droste, and Capitelli are proposing, for the nth time in 25 years, to add new status offenses to the docket. These new “crimes” will result in fines and jail […]