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AVA NORGROVE, ANCHOR:
The city of Chico removed unhoused residents and cleaned up trash in half of Depot Park downtown yesterday (Aug. 10). It was the site of the last large homeless encampment in the city. NSPR's Alec Stutson was there.
ALEC STUTSON, REPORTER:
Depot Park has been cut in half. Divided by a strip of bright yellow caution tape, the northwestern side of the park swarms with a flurry of city employees, police, and Caterpillar construction vehicles dumping trash and discarded belongings into nearby trucks.
On the southeast side of the line is the rest of the encampment, now with a few extra tents from campers who switched sides to avoid enforcement.
Nathan Beakley had moved his tent to the other side, and on the morning of the sweep he was assisting others..
BEAKLEY: "Just helping move things, calming people down because some people are pretty riled up. I told everybody I'd stay ‘til the end, and that's what I'm doing.”
The city is clearing the camp in two parts to make sure it can comply with a settlement agreement that requires there be an open shelter bed for each person they remove from an encampment.
Public Works Director of Operations and Management Erik Gustafson.
GUSTAFSON: “So far, we've been able to manage our shelter resources accordingly, and splitting it in half kind of helped to do that. And we look forward to starting the second half soon."
Every camper I spoke to had been directed by city staff to go to the Torres Shelter, but nobody said they would be going. Some said they had traumatic experiences there, while others said policies like a strict curfew, and a lack of storage space, keep them away.
As for where park residents go now, it's a mix.
Nathan Beakley and others say they'll stay on the southeastern half of the park as long as they can. Others are leaving the site, and will try to find a new place in town to live.
