Homeless camp cleared following court decision
City authorities move ahead with evictions at Albert Park
Authorities evicted more than a dozen homeless people from a camp at Albert Park in San Rafael on Friday.
The camp closure followed a federal court ruling this week that the city could resume its effort to remove the homeless congregation from the park at B Street and Albert Park Lane.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the temporary restraining order blocking the eviction was lifted Monday. The court also denied a request from park campers for a preliminary injunction.
Following the ruling, city officials ordered the campsites to be cleared no later than 7 a.m. Friday.
“It's sad when you have a community that is torn apart,” said Joshua Edelstein, who was among the people packing up Friday morning. “I'm not sure where to go.”
Edelstein had support from volunteers who rented a U-Haul truck to help the campers move their belongings from the site. About a dozen San Rafael police officers watched as the campers cleared the park.
The park is part of a campus with a community center, several ball fields, tennis courts, a playground and bocce courts. It is used by schools, Little League, the Pacifics baseball team and the general public.
The camp had grown to more than 20 individual campsites in recent months. Parents from Parkside Preschool and Children's Cen
“Clearing the campsites from Albert Park is an important step to address the adverse health and safety, and nuisance conditions caused by campsites in the Park, and to reopen these spaces to public uses.” — San Rafael city statement
ter and neighbors told city officials they are concerned for their children who use the park. Community complaints mounted and police calls became more frequent, city officials said.
The city has received complaints about alcohol and drug use, littering, fights, human waste and sanitation issues, among other concerns.
On Feb. 21, city officials ordered the occupants of the camp to vacate by March 13, hoping to clear the park before the Little League season kicked off March 18.
On March 6, the City Council voted unanimously to ban camping at Albert Park over public health and safety concerns. The action expanded a ban that prohibits camping at Boyd Park, city open spaces and parking garages.
That week, residents of the camp filed a lawsuit saying weather forecasters expected a strong storm to arrive the day of the closure. Rogers had granted a temporary restraining order preventing the city from enforcing the eviction.
In her ruling Monday, Rogers said, “the urgency upon which the original order was issued has passed.”
Deanna Hughes, the lead plaintiff in the suit, said she accepted an offer for shelter, but alleged city officials did not follow up. She said she found an alternative temporary situation to find shelter during the storm.
Hughes cited a county report that shows 73% of the homeless people counted in Marin said they were living in the county when they became homeless.
“People's rights have been violated,” Hughes said. “I'm perfectly able-minded, and it's difficult for me. I'm trying to help support those who are not able-minded, not able-bodied. The numbers show that this is a communitywide problem. If they want a solution, pull together and create one.”
Assistant City Attorney Genevieve Coyle said the city's mental health liaison provides people who are matched with shelter with details of their intake appointment at the shelter. Rides to the shelter are also available through the CARE team, the county's service for the homeless.
In a statement, the city said occupants of the camp have had more than four weeks notice to vacate the park. As of Wednesday, there were about 15 campsites remaining.
“Over the past month, the City and its service providers have been performing daily outreach to the campers to connect them with available shelter and temporary storage options for their personal belongings,” the statement says.
“Clearing the campsites from Albert Park is an important step to address the adverse health and safety, and nuisance conditions caused by campsites in the Park, and to reopen these spaces to public uses,” the statement says. “The City looks forward to the upcoming season of community and recreation events at Albert Park. The City also continues to provide case management and other services to people experiencing homelessness to assist them on their path to housing.”
On Friday, Mayor Kate Colin said, “San Rafael strives to balance the community needs with the reality of encampments in our city.”
“This balancing act is familiar to jurisdictions throughout California as the state has seen a dramatic rise in the unhoused population,” she said. “The Albert Park location has seen an increase in calls for service for the police and fire departments, and that fact, coupled with the high recreational use by children and families, prompted the City Council to recently add the location to the areas in San Rafael where camping is prohibited.”
Colin said the city is working with local nonprofits to find shelter options.
“And while, regrettably, not all the occupants have desired to pursue the offered options, these alternatives will continue to be offered as we work with the unhoused population to get them into permanent, supportive housing,” she said.