Homeless campers in Red Bluff will soon be forced to leave a park they've been allowed to camp in for years. This gives unhoused residents in the area one fewer place to stay.
Since 2022, unhoused residents in Red Bluff were allowed to camp in Samuel Ayer Park. It was designated as a campsite for those experiencing homelessness in the city, particularly during the construction of Red Bluff's first and only congregate homeless shelter — PATH Plaza Navigation Center. It opened its doors last May.
But this week, the Red Bluff City Council voted 3-1 to close the park to homeless campers in 30 days time. The vote followed extensive public comment. Many community members advocated for the closure, saying they felt unsafe. Some also detailed other negative interactions they've had with unhoused residents in town like seeing public defecation and people sleeping and lying in walkways.
Others cited last year's Supreme Court decision that allowed cities to make it illegal to sleep outside — even if unsheltered residents have nowhere else to go.
"I think the intent always was with the city council ... that once the Navigation Center opened and started providing services, that they wanted to look at the feasibility and the necessity of Sam Ayers as a designated camping area," said Red Bluff City Manager Tom Westbrook.
He said city staff will be meeting to discuss how to notify people currently camped in the park.
"We want to make sure that services can be provided to them. The stable location of where those happen currently is the [PATH] Navigation Center," Westbrook said.
He said there are also a handful of other organizations providing aid in the area.
"We want to make sure that services can be provided to them. The stable location of where those happen currently is the [PATH] Navigation Center."Tom Westbrook, Red Bluff city manager
"Pneumacare is one of the biggest ones ... They help some of the homeless community with some needs in terms of getting them into temporary housing through hotels." He said. "I know that Randy Dueck with Salt Ranch also tries to help people and get them food as necessary."
Dueck was at this week’s city council meeting and spoke before the vote was held. He runs the nonprofit Salt Ranch, which collects food to feed Tehama County residents in need. He said the city can't rely solely on PATH Plaza to shelter people who were camping in the park.
"I do send people to PATH all the time. The majority of people that I send there come back to me and say, ‘I don't fit in the boundaries that they have, and they won't be able to help me,’" Dueck said during public comment. "If you're not going to have a place for them to camp, and you're going to expect them all to go to PATH – PATH can't help them all."
Some unhoused residents are skeptical of congregate shelters, whether that's because of negative experiences, or specific requirements or regulations at the shelter.
"If you're not going to have a place for them to camp, and you're going to expect them all to go to PATH – PATH can't help them all."Randy Dueck, pastor and founder of Salt Ranch
One place unsheltered campers might go is to Dog Island Park. It's adjacent to Samuel Ayer Park, but controlled by the Bureau of Reclamation. This means the City of Red Bluff can't enforce anti-camping laws there, or keep the area from being used as a campsite.
"I don't know what parameters the Bureau of Reclamation has for camping," Westbrook said. "I know that there are people that camp in that property and that have camped in that area for decades."
PATH staff declined to comment on the closure of the park.
