Berkeley Homeless Camp Remains Unclear After Lawsuit Halts City Cleanup

A recent viral video exposed a sprawling homeless encampment behind university housing in Berkeley, drawing attention to daily open fires, rampant rats and a leptospirosis outbreak that has claimed one life and hospitalized another. City officials posted notices on July 27 directing residents of the area bounded by Gilman Street, San Pablo Avenue, the Union Pacific rail line and Codornices Creek to vacate by Aug. 3 for sanitation, fire-hazard and public-health reasons.

The Berkeley Homeless Union responded with a lawsuit, leading Judge Edward Chen to pause the cleanup until the city can identify relocation sites and securely store residents’ belongings, as required by a prior order. Assistant City Attorney Katrina Eiland emphasized the health threats in federal court, while the Union accuses the city of sensationalizing the outbreak and mishandling previous sweeps. Although a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows Ninth Circuit cities to clear camps, Berkeley lacks a blanket camping ban, leaving the legal battle unresolved. The city continues to meet with disabled residents to arrange accommodations while seeking a longer-term solution.