Camp Fire temporary housing gets year extension

Transitory housing decision held off a month

With its expiration date on the horizon, part of the Chapter 53 Camp Fire Disaster Recovery Ordinance was unanimously extended by one year at the most recent Board of Supervisors meeting.

The ordinance was introduced in 2018 and provided temporary housing which was broken into two parts: hooked up and transitory.

For most, temporary housing was provided with connections to water, power and garbage services. Others were housed in what was was called transitory housing, or dry camping. In September 2020, the ordinance was extended by the board to end Dec. 31, 2021.

Paula Daneluk, director of Development Services, led a presentation and discussion with the board during its Oct. 12 meeting to decide where to go with the ordinance in terms of the extension.

Additionally, a public comment period was held for residents to give their input both in the form of speaking at the meeting and via written letter.

Many of the letters were from those with both connected temporary housing and permanent housing asking that the board cease the transitory housing part of the ordinance.

“The constant influx of squatters, non-rebuilders, transients and the like are putting a strain on us like I never thought we would see,” one resident wrote. “Our home, the neighborhoods are not meant to be campgrounds, they are not here to be used and abused by folks who don’t own or even owners who have shown no intent to rebuild.”

Supervisor Doug Teeter, whose district saw the most destruction from the Camp Fire, suggested ending the transitory housing section of the ordinance.

“I don’t really see (the transitory section) being extended in my eyes,” Teeter said. “I mean, it’s going to be three years next month.”

Daneluk listed some concerns that could come up should that section of the ordinance come to an end.

“Not extending it would mean that anyone who is dry camping would have to hook up to utilities,” Daneluk said. “I can foresee that one of the difficulties with people making that transition they would either have to do that or leave the property. That would be the ramifications to that change in the ordinance.”

Daneluk added that there were people still in transitory housing not connected to services on their own property as well as on the property of others, in some cases landowners who did not want them there any longer.

Supervisor and Chair Bill Connelly suggested extending it only six months so that rather than ending it in the middle of winter, it would instead come during the springtime. This was backed by Supervisor

Debra Lucero.

Daneluk was asked by Supervisor Tami Ritter how many people were still living in dry camps though she responded saying the department didn’t have that data at the time.

Teeter suggested that the piece of the ordinance for temporary housing be extended a year and asked that staff bring back numbers on how many are still in transitory situations during a November meeting adding that if the number was low, the North Valley Community Foundation might be able to aid them.

The board ultimately voted unanimously to do just that and consider options for those in transitory housing next month.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. every second and third Tuesday of the month at its chambers located at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 205 in Oroville. Meetings are free and open to the public. Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask while in the building.