Federal court permits Oakland to clear Wood Street homeless camp
OAKLAND -- A federal court on Friday issued an order allowing the city of Oakland to shut down one of its largest homeless encampments.
The judge's decision permits the city to clear the Wood Street encampment to make room for a 170-unit affordable housing project. The camp has been the source of concern due to unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
However, for many residents, it's the only place they can call home.
Mike Wilmarth, who has been homeless for the past nine years, is one such resident. He and his wife lost their jobs as property managers due to her mental health issues and they now live in the camp with their three dogs. It's the most comfortable place he can find even though it may not be the safest.
"It's a constant 'sleep with one eye open' every night."
Wilmarth says that the eviction is "the last straw" for him and he doesn't know where he will go next.
"We're already on the streets. We have nowhere else to go," he said.
The city of Oakland claims to have sufficient shelter space to accommodate the displaced residents but Wilmarth says those shelters won't take people with pets.
Oakland faces the risk of losing state funding if the eviction process is delayed.
The federal court has allowed the city to post notices of the pending closure starting Feb. 10, giving the residents seven days to find a new place to live.