Fremont begins clearing park as homeless campers head for hotels

FREMONT Michelle Rivera awoke at about a m Monday to the sounds of Fremont city workers preparing to begin a lengthy cleanup of Isherwood Park where she and dozens of others have lived in tent encampments She managed to grab toiletries clothes and food and water bowls for her dog Nebula a black Pitbull mix The city tossed the rest of her belongings a tent bed cooking supplies and other items in a dumpster she declared My whole life is now in two boxes Rivera explained later Monday I lost a lot of stuff that I couldn t take with me Monday marked the first day of a multi-phased cleanup of the park located along Isherwood Way near the East Bay Regional Park District s Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area The city has demanded for all campers to leave by Nov th when the area will be fenced off Workers throughout the day were tearing down tents and clearing multiple sections throughout the park as part of a effort to restore the watershed along Old Alameda Creek and clear contamination debris and vegetation The city gave campers two plastic bins each for their belongings before throwing everything else left behind away Fremont city spokeswoman Geneva Bosques reported this news organization that the city began contacting homeless campers in the park beginning in May City agents plan to use about of its winter relief plan budget to provide services and temporary shelter for those residing in Isherwood Park Other residents were directed into the city s Homeless Navigation Center which right now shelters about people Bosques disclosed those who accepted a hotel voucher or a stay in the navigation center can stay in a room for about six months and will receive a nightly meal and other services such as pet food and visits with trained social workers But still people like -year-old Rudy De La Cruz revealed they were unable to secure a voucher He stated that despite living in the encampment for the last two years the city narrated him Monday that he would not be getting a hotel stay He explained a limited days ago he d gotten kicked out Sunrise Village a homeless shelter in Fremont because he hadn t returned to his room for a couple days It was because of this he declared city workers informed him he wouldn t be moving into a hotel How is that helping They get to pick and choose who they want De La Cruz announced Now I m back at square one According to Bosques sometimes people from other encampments come and try to get into the shelter programs I don t believe anyone determined to be living out there would have been disqualified or not offered shelter unless they in the last few days established up she commented It was about people and all were offered space in one of the two programs City personnel including Mayor Raj Salwan have announced the park closure is entirely a long-needed cleanup of the area and has nothing do with a controversial ban Fremont City Council approved earlier this year that made it illegal to camp anywhere in the city Those in violation of the ordinance could be face a punishment of up to six months in jail and a fine Even Rivera who left the park on Monday with her dog agreed the clean up was a long time coming A resident there since she declared she first applied for housing assistance two years ago but hadn t received a stay until Monday She added I just don t know why the guidance are coming to us so late Meanwhile Danielle Young packed a generator and several hefty bags into a small trailer she jerry-rigged onto the back of an electric bike Monday afternoon She had only been living there for a meager months and planned to lug her belongings to a nearby storage unit She called the city s camp clearing outrageous and disclosed the city also denied her a hotel voucher on Monday It s not like we re hurting anybody out here Young noted Too several people are denied housing that need help We need immediate housing now not in a month or two